RED
by swanqueen-fangirl
Summary: Stable Swan Queen ( Regina/Daniel/Emma) AU: Emma lands in FTL and recognizes a young Regina who is betrothed to Daniel. Cora offers Emma a deal.
1. Chapter 1

Title: RED (I literally could not think of anything fitting, this was just how I had saved it as)  
Author: Swanqueen-Fangirl  
Beta(s): none; mistakes are mine.  
Fandom: Once Upon A Time  
Rating: M  
Pairing: Regina/Daniel/Emma, Stable Swan Queen.  
Summary: AU: Emma lands in FTL and recognizes a young Regina who is betrothed to Daniel.

Green irises flashed open to stare into an endless blue. Emma was flat on her back as she let out a deep groan. The endless blue tilted to reveal an unfamiliar land as she slowly sat up. She had fallen through the portal into Fairytale Land with Mary Margaret. Emma whipped her head around to survey her surroundings, but Mary Margaret was nowhere to be found. Emma swore under her breath. She slowly made her way up into a standing position, still breathing hard from having the wind knocked out of her. She was in the middle of a clearing surrounded by trees. Looking up, she saw a stream of steady smoke lazily curling into the sky from a village not far away. She knew she'd stick out like a sore thumb, with her jeans and leather jacket, but she adjusted her small dagger to a hidden position, rolled her shoulders, and walked along the dirt path leading towards the winding smoke.

Emma's journey met no obstacles, only strange looks and whispered conversations. She had made it to the marketplace and was wandering around like a lost child, which in all actually, she was. She was looking for any signs of Mary Margaret when she caught the eye of a dark brunette across the market with a small basket. Time seemed to speed past them before the brunette grabbed her companion's arm a little tighter as she quickly turned away, breaking the brief spell. Emma's jaw visibly dropped. One glance was all she needed. She was even more beautiful in this land than in Storybrooke, and Emma would know those rich chocolate eyes in any land.

"Regina!" Emma called out, knocking past a few people as she made her way over, commandeering even more stares than before. She started to feel a panic overcome her when she realized she had lost sight of her through the crowd. She quickly surveyed every booth, but saw only commoners and merchants. It wasn't until she was physically standing at the end of the marketplace where she last saw her when she heard a muffled giggle. Emma's ears perked up towards the musical sound, like a wind chime tinkling in a soft breeze. Following it, Emma turned the corner behind some of the booths to find a pair of those coffee eyes already staring at her over the shoulder of another man, lips still locked together. Emma erupted.

"Who the fuck is this?" she yelled, roughly yanking on the back of the man's collar, forcing him to release the brunette's lips. He turned around just in time to receive a hard right hook to the side of his face. He stepped back with his hand flying to his face.

"What are doing?!" a high voice shrieked. Emma paused at the sound, it wasn't the deep husky voice she'd grown accustom to caressing her ear with sweet nothings. The man forgotten, Emma peered into the face of the girl she had followed. She was young; too young to be her queen. She had long flowing hair tied back in the front with a string of flowers and a long light colored dress. Emma was acutely aware of just how far down her dress dipped in the front, as she forced her eyes upwards.

She could not decipher who was standing in front of her, confusion hitting. But her eyes, she knew them well. They were the same ones she'd gazed into for hours back in Storybrooke, the same ones that had seen her completely vulnerable and bare countless times. Emma knew those deep brown orbs from all the secret glances and stolen kisses they had abundantly shared.

"Regina?" Emma ventured. The girl looked up, an indescribable flicker flashing past her eyes.

"Do—do I know you?" She asked, eyes raking up and down, taking Emma in.

Emma's face fell. "I—we—", she faltered. "I knew you… in another…time," she awkwardly finished.

"What do you mean?" the man stepped in and demanded. Emma finally looked to see who she had just punched a few seconds ago. She was surprised to see how handsome he actually was, even with his face reddening with the aftermath of Emma's right hook. She looked back to Regina, ignoring his question, and asking another with a concerned look towards the teenager.

"Is he-"

"This is my betrothed, Daniel," she smiled before intertwining their fingers together. Emma felt a sharp stab of jealousy at the gesture, not to mention the title, before Regina continued," Who…are…you?"

"Emma."

"Emma?" she repeated, seeming to try out the taste of her name, rolling it in her mouth. "What a pretty name."

The blonde turned towards the man—Daniel-before offering a lousy apology, "I thought you were…someone else." He merely dipped his head in a subtle nod and looked towards his fiancé, a silent conversation exchanging before Emma. Regina nodded before saying, "You simply must join us for dinner tonight and tell us all about your travels and how we used to know each other."

Emma hesitated before accepting the invitation and soon she was following them through the nearby forest onto another dirt pathway. Emma would've guessed the walk took a good fifteen minutes before it opened up to a green pasture with some stables appearing nearby.

Once inside, Regina started to look around her before a worried look crossed her countenance. "Oh no, how could I forget my basket with—," her eyes slid towards Emma, and she lowered her voice.

"If I don't bring it, Mother will surely—Daniel? Keep our guest company while I go back for it." Before either Daniel or Emma could protest, Regina was already bounding off, but not before giving Daniel a chaste kiss on the lips. It took all of Emma's self-control to reign in her jealousy. _Easy Swan._

"So who are you, really?" Daniel accused as soon as his love was out of ear shot, "And how do you know my Regina?" Emma's attention zoned onto his possessive claim, but when she looked up at him, his honey gaze was already fixed on her as he softened his voice.

"I see the way you look at her. It's not unlike the first time I laid _my_ eyes on her." He surveyed her absence of a reaction with curiosity, taking her silence as permission to continue. "But what I don't understand," he admitted, taking a step closer to her, "Is the way she looks at you." Emma took a step in retreat only to be met with the wooden feel of the stable wall at her back.

"You're beautiful," he slowly brought his hand up, "but what does she see in you, I wonder?" He brushed a stray string of hair behind Emma's ear, dragging his fingers down to linger near her collarbone. She started to feel her body betray her, slowly becoming aroused.

Emma couldn't explain the feeling; she was drawn to him just as equally as he seemed to be to her. She roughly pulled him in closer. Flush against her, she could feel him getting hard against her thighs. Like magnets, they instinctively brought their lips closer and closer to each other's. Neither of them was going to be the one to make this happen, but neither of them could tell who started grinding into the other first. It was the slowest of motions but when nobody pulled away, the intensity increased. The magnets found each other again, but this time they didn't waver before they met.

He tasted like the sun somehow and Emma felt his tongue rush past her lips. She threw her hands into his hair and felt the short light brown strands slip between her fists. Daniel bent and brought his firm hands beneath Emma's ass and outwards to her thighs. With a buried grunt, he heaved the blonde up and her legs found themselves interlocked around his waist. He pushed her back into the wall and Emma let out a hiss as a hooked fixture prodded itself into her. They began to fumble with the fabric that divided them.

"Oh god, David," Emma moaned into him as his teeth scraped against her pulse point. The stable boy pulled back at her slip.

"DANIEL!" Both of them turned towards his proper name. "EMMA?"

Regina stood in the entryway and dropped what she was holding with a dull thunk. She was supposed to have been on her way back to the marketplace, but of course it didn't occur to either of them that she wasn't going to walk this time. Her riding boots lay forgotten on the floor as she turned with tears bubbling in her eyes and ran off choking back a sob.

Hearing Regina cry seemed to break the spell of whatever had overtaken them. Emma swore a colorful string of expletives, untangling herself from Daniel. "What the fuck were you thinking! This is all your fault! You're—"

"MY fault!" he yelled back in a panic, "You were the one who—"

"SHUT UP. I'm going after her!"

"YOU? It should be ME. I'M her fiancé!"

"Then _YOU_ are the one that just royally fucked up! Let me handle this," she shoved him, "I…I know her."

Daniel threw his hands up and behind his head, pacing back and forth. He nodded, "I don't know what came over me; I _can't _lose her like this." He looked up, distraught, "Go."

Emma didn't offer any response. She just took off running after her young love, luckily catching the faintest glimpse of her entering the forest not far from the stables.

"Regina! Regina!" The blonde called out as she traversed her way into the forest. A small sob echoed through the brush. Not far into the wood, Regina had her knees curled up to her chest and she was trying to stifle her sobs with a hand over her mouth. Emma's heart immediately ached as the realization of what she had just done hit her full force. She couldn't even ration a false excuse to tell herself. She caught her breathe and slowed herself down to cautiously approach the teenager.

"Regina." She looked up, with tears still fresh in her chestnut eyes. _It wasn't what it looked like back there_, she tested the lie out_._ Emma tried to deny it, but it had been _exactly_ what it looked like._ Damnit Swan, what the fuck were you thinking? s_he scolded herself.

Regina sniffled and her voice broke when she asked, "Why? Why would you-"

"Look at me." She said gently as the blonde folded down next to her. Regina shook her head and refused. Instead, she unexpectedly turned into Emma's chest, burying herself in a desperate embrace. Emma was caught off guard, but quickly adjusted by fiercely returning the gesture and resting her chin upon the teenager's head. A soft scent of lavender drifted up to greet Emma, as she closed her eyes, recognizing the smell. Muffled whimpers eluded Regina as Emma felt her shake within her hold and the blonde felt the stain of a hot tear cascaded down her neck.

"Hey now, hey," Emma pulled back to face her and lift Regina's chin up with her finger. It took a moment for Regina to find herself and demurely meet searching emerald. The brunette swallowed.

"Where have you been?" Regina asked Emma. The older woman brought her other hand up, to wipe away her tears from her cheeks, not understanding the question.

"Before my Mother killed my fairy godmother, she said you would come for me, and that you would take me away from here. I've waited for so long. It was the only reason I accepted Daniel's advances at first. He promised he'd do the same."

Emma was torn between absolutely hating her replacement and being absolutely grateful he was looking out for her Regina. The question gnawed at her and she had to know, "Do you love him?"

There was no hesitation. "Yes. Of course I do."

Emma tried to hide the stab of jealously, but failed miserably. But Regina observed her reaction as if she already knew it would cross Emma's face.

"But…" she tentatively brought her hand up to rest over Emma's heart, "I feel as if I've known you all my life." The words hung in the air before them with a glimmer of truth. The blonde instantly felt her heart swell. Regina's eyes widened in wonderment when she felt the blonde's heartbeat pulse a little faster. Emma slowly pulled Regina's chin closer to her; permission asked in every inch. The brunette's eyes became hooded and trust was given in every centimeter.

Their lips met with incredible tenderness, delicate in every way. Emma sucked on Regina's bottom lip, lightly lifting her lids to see the younger girl completely absorbed into Emma herself. Their exchanged deepened as both paramours hands entangled with the other's locks, scrunching and pulling enticingly. She was the sweetest taste Emma had ever experienced, and yet she was completely familiar. As they went on, their breathing started to thicken. Emma's core started to heat and she was becoming more aroused with each passing minute. Emma began to lean backwards, meaning to pull the teen atop her, when the girl retreated against the momentum. Their deep kiss shattered.

Emma searched the girl, having unexpected the rejection. "Are you….?" The end of her question stood still as a look of concern passed over the blonde. Regina's face flushed.

_Ah. _

"M- Mother said…"

"Oh no, Sweetie, don't worry," Emma gave her a reassuring kiss, "that's okay."

The Mayor she knew and loved might've snarled at the endearment, but this Regina simply nodded. Emma had assumed her and Daniel had ventured further, what with being betrothed and all. Not to mention she herself had been well versed in seduction long before she was Regina's age. God, she remembered her first time being pretty awful. She winced at the memory; nothing more than an alleyway contingency. She looked back to the innocent queen before her, her flush receding.

"Do you want to stop?" Emma felt obligated to ask.

"No, that's not why…I just..." Regina shook her head and instead of bothering with an explanation, she passionately locked lips with the older woman more forcefully this time. Emma started to feel their momentum start to shift, and she let loose a shit eating grin when she realized what the girl was doing. Regina had perfectly imitated the move Emma had failed to pull on her not five minutes before. Emma was now on top of the teenager, knees parted on either side of her. With Emma's weight snagged on either side of her dress, the fabric stretched to reveal the tops of the brunette's breasts. Seeing her dominating lover's younger self in a submissive position made Emma moan into the side of Regina's mouth.

Emma sat up enough to shuck off her red leather jacket along with her white tank underneath and blindly tossed them aside. In only her bra and set of double necklaces, Regina's eyes darkened with appendence. Emma leaned back down to her and expertly guided her left hand to her back and waited. Regina's fingers stuttered over the clasp that was withholding Emma's chest from her. Another urging kiss while straps slid down and fell away as Regina unwrapped her prize with an intake of breath. Her innocence was completely endearing to the older woman as she let her soft hands explore her body, roaming over her erect nipples. Regina pulled her closer.

_Gentle, Swan, gentle, s_he had to remind herself. This wasn't the Storybrooke queen Emma was used to. And thinking on it, she started to miss the violence they shared during their usual escapades. But this little lamb wasn't going to be confined to Emma's preconceived notions. Emma hissed unexpectedly as nails raked down her back, a devilish gleam sprouting in her eyes and her excitement spiking. _There she is. _

"My turn," Emma said with an impish grin as she slithered herself down Regina's body to lift the bottom of her dress up. She took the undergarments and pulled them down using only her teeth, all the while never breaking eye contact. Emma could immediately smell the teenager's familiar scent and she licked her lips in anticipation. Spread before her was a dripping Regina and Emma dove right in with a singular greedy lick right up her hot center. What had been soft sounds and murmurs before, now exploded into a vocal outcry of ecstasy. Still sucking on her lover's small bud, Emma began to tease her fingers along the brunette's opening.

The two of them were so caught up in each other they didn't hear the snap of a twig in the distance. Soon there was a shuffle nearby, along with heavy footsteps and an angry shout.

"GET OFF HER!" Emma was yanked off the girl and blindsided with a backhand to her face.

"DANIEL!" Regina shouted in alarm as she quickly sat up and pulled her dress back into its proper place.

"WHAT THE FUCK!" Emma screamed, anger burning in her eyes, she clamored into an upright position guarding Regina and drew her dagger that was hidden in her left boot.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!" he moved to grab her, and was met with a stinging cut across his arm, superficial, but a warning. He needn't have worried though. With a swipe of his hand he had disarmed Emma, the dagger on the floor, and he had pulled her close, his hand around her neck.

"You were supposed to fix this," he spat, "not make it worse!" He increased the pressure around Emma's throat.

"DANIEL, STOP!" Regina cried out, "Don't hurt her! It's not what it looks like. She wasn't…" she took a deep breath before admitting, "I wanted her to." He stilled.

"But she's—"He looked back and forth between the two of them, "A woman?"

"Let. Her. Go." She responded regally.

As if seeing Emma for the first time, he seemed to realize he was holding a topless female against him in a chokehold and quickly released her. Emma took a gasping inhale as Daniel rushed over to Regina's side.

"Are you okay? Did she hurt you?"

"I'm fine. Everything is fine." Her words did not sway his concerned countenance. He looked back to Emma, standing with an arm over her chest. "Is this—is _she_ what you've always desired?" His voice tried hard not to crack but failed when he weakly asked, "Am I not enough?"

Emma felt the pain of empathy for the man. She had been through the same uncertainty multiple times. More than one of her previous lovers had left her for a man. None of them would admit to her that she had been just a toy, a phase, an experiment, but she knew. Ever since, the fear of not being _enough_ for someone and the fear of being worthless to them has been ever constant in her life.

"Oh Daniel, no, I love you." She raised her hand to caress his face, "Don't you ever think I don't." A kiss.

Feeling like she was intruding on an uncomfortable moment and that she had done enough damage, Emma moved to gather her attire that had been thrown unceremoniously around the brush. She took a few steps and kneeled to retrieve her tangled bra near where Regina was sitting. Mid reach, the brunette grabbed her wrist.

"Emma?"

She didn't look up, eyes trained on her garment.

"Emma." She said more forcefully. The blonde's eyes reluctantly rose to stare into the brunette's.

"Stay," she said softly. It wasn't Regina she looked to, but Daniel, whose hand was already interlaced with Regina's. An unspoken question to him thickened the air between them. Daniel's honey eyes caught the light as they flicked towards Regina whose touch was linking him together with Emma. He looked back to the blonde and seemed to relent with a diminutive acknowledgement. _If this is what she wants_.

They both loved the beautifully young brunette in front of them and they both wanted to be the one to give her pleasure she'd never felt. They would each do anything for her and there was an understanding between them. They would do this together.

Sensing the change in the air, Regina let out a shy smile when Emma reached towards Daniel to start to fully undress him. His skin was tanner than Emma first thought as her hands ran down his strong chest. She kicked off her remaining jeans and down to her birthday suit. Daniel began to lift Regina's dress from her front and Emma sat with her legs apart behind her to unlace the back of her dress. She took her time and let her fingers linger. They both took the fabric of her dress in their hands. While Daniel lifted up from the bottom, Emma pulled from the top and tossed the light dress aside. Emma watched Daniel as he took Regina's bare form in before him. Even from behind, she could see Regina's skin was yet unmarred from any of the scars Emma had memorized from her older self. She kissed where she knew the ones on her back should be.

Emma's hands immediately went to groping Regina's breasts from behind in a messaging motion. She could feel the teen's nipples were already rock hard. Daniel allowed his fingers to lithely run up and down the inside of the brunette's thighs, taking his time. The blonde's tongue trailed down to attach her lips to the side of Regina's neck, sucking deeply on the tender skin there. She could see goose bumps appear instantly. Daniel started his kisses at her knees, again, working his way up teasing and licking every inch of skin until he met her apex. Regina let out constant moans completely overstimulated by her two lovers. Daniel shared the same hunger Emma had earlier in lapping up her flowing arousal greedily.

In time, Emma removed herself from behind Regina and laid the girl flat on her back and positioned herself over the brunette's head, facing Daniel. Regina tentatively started reciprocating Daniel's actions to Emma, her tongue exploring her all over in between moans. Daniel gave a final taste, and didn't bother to wipe his mouth as part of Regina caught the sun in a gleam. He then propped himself up onto his knees with his manhood fully erect.

Daniel met Emma's eyes. They both knew this wasn't the way it should be. If Emma had to share someone so completely, she couldn't see how Regina would ever be hers. The blonde's heart over flooded with jealousy. _It should be me._ She needed to be Regina's first, but truthfully, she knew deep down Daniel was who Regina should be with. Emma didn't want to witness the violation so she removed herself from above Regina's head and positioned her knees on either side of Regina's stomach. She was facing Regina and had her back towards Daniel now.

Daniel lifted the brunette's legs up to hoist them over his shoulders to open her up. Emma realized it was something she could never offer. She couldn't provide the simple pleasures of sex like he could. A different method perhaps, but she would never feel that completely connected to brunette that lay beneath her. But more importantly, she knew she could never give her a family. They could never build a life together in this realm, not like Daniel could. Emma slowly started to grind on top of the teenager and she could feel Regina's body tense up as Daniel entered her and she cried out painfully. Emma looked away. Daniel then pulled Emma closer to him from behind, grunts and heavy breath in her ear as he groped her roughly. Emma's sight returned to Regina and saw her face slacken from her immense pleasure. The brunette's pert breasts were synchronized with his pumping, rolling and swaying with his momentum. Up and down, up and down, again and again. Emma could feel each quickening thrust from Daniel going into the girl as his heavy tongue lapped at her neck.

"Ohh Danny," Regina repeated moaning over and over like a mantra.

Emma could pretend all she wanted that it was her doing, but she turned away again from the sight of Regina's pleasure. _I'm never enough._ She couldn't help herself as she felt her eyes start to well up and the blonde fought to blink back any tears that threatened to descend.

Seeing that Emma was fighting tears, Daniel slowed his movements and ran his hands down her smooth back to rest at her hips. His hands were well worn, but the roughness was welcomed. Regina let out a small protest as he pulled out of her. He then lifted Emma, arms around her from behind and sat her parallel to a dazed Regina. Daniel brought his hands to cradle Emma's face, staring into green. He greeted her bruised lips with a deep kiss, as if to say he loved her as much as Regina. Emma could taste his betrothed's juices on his mouth from before. Emma savored the satisfying taste. His large hands were swallowed in her golden hair. Emma could tell he meant to lay her down, but needed to top, so she switched their weight so he was on his back beneath her.

Emma wasted no time in mounting him, covering his girth like a glove. He was still wet with Regina's fluids as Emma felt them slide into her. She moaned considerably at the thought. Simultaneously, Regina managed to imitate Emma perfectly once more as she moved herself to hover over Daniel's mouth, facing the older woman. Daniel's tongue went back to work on eating the brunette out above him. Emma started to recede into herself, and grateful for a distraction, began to fuck her pain away. Daniel was considerable rougher than he was with the brunette and that suited her needs perfectly. She'd bury the emotional wreckage she was with the only way she knew how to. Emma rode, Daniel licked, and Regina captured the blonde's mouth in a kiss. All of them connected.

Daniel and Emma's breath started to become more erratic with the intensity of each thrust. Seven short, one long. Emma felt her walls tighten up with him inside of her and her eyes rolled back as she let the sensation take over her in waves. She cried out in ecstasy and felt herself let go, feeling the warmth wrap itself around her emanating from her center out.

After seeing Emma cum before him, Daniel's face started to contort and Regina moved off his face. Emma removed herself from him and grabbed his member full in her hands, feeling her own slickness in her palms. She stroked once; twice. He convulsed before cuming hard, just missing Emma. His chest moving up and down with his hard breathing, he stayed sprawled out.

Feeling her own stamina draining, Emma pushed Regina down flat and climbed atop her. With all the passion she could muster, Emma's mouth collided with her young love's, saying everything she could never voice. She bit and pulled on her bottom lip and Regina hissed as she raked her nails down the blonde's back once more. Emma found the brunette's center still completely drenched. Without any exposition, she forced three fingers into the girl, feeling moist walls of complete enclosure around them. She dragged her teeth across her throat, and with the pace severely increased, Regina began huffing and squirming underneath the older woman.

"Look at me," Emma demanded. Regina's eyes snapped to green and time slowed between them. The vulnerability in Regina's gaze only served to intensify Emma's possessiveness of her. Emma pumped hard enough to edge the girl up a few inches and Regina's eyes started to lose focus. Emma knew she needed just something ever so slightly more to send her over the edge, and she knew exactly what would do it. It was a surprising favorite of the Mayor's that she had discovered. She traced her tongue from the side of Regina's cheek to her ear and bit down. Regina let out an intensely loud shout and Emma felt her writhe beneath her as she came for the first time. The blonde could see her orgasm pumping through her lower abdomen and Regina went completely still before coming to again and gulping air, sweat gleaming in the light.

Emma couldn't help but chuckle lightly and lay a kiss on the girl's forehead before rolling over to lie next to her. Daniel had watched them with an undefinable look in his eye. While Regina caught her breath, lying between her two paramours, she grabbed for each of their hands, linking them all together once more and sighed.

Time yawned as they all watched the sky through the trees above them. When their erratic panting slowed back down to normal, all of them traded sly smiles as they got re-dressed. The sun was just about to start setting when Regina panicked, realization dawning on her.

"Oh god she's going to be so upset! I still need to go back for Mother's things!" She wrung her hands together, "And it's practically sun set, I need to get back! Danny will you—"

"I'll go back to the marketplace for you," he briskly cut her off, "you just go change and get washed up." Emma smothered a grin. There had been something so animalistic about taking one another in the forest. Regina looked exactly how someone who had just been ravished in the woods in an impromptu orgy would. They all did, with leaves in their hair and dirt all over their clothing. Daniel gave her a quick kiss and nodded to Emma before running off towards the marketplace.

"Emma, I need to go. Please, you'll stay? You can't leave me so soon."

Emma considered her options briefly before realizing she didn't have any. She was stuck here for now. She wrapped her love in an embrace, breasts pressing against each other's before giving her a chaste peck on the cheek.

"Go. I'll be here." Where? She didn't know yet, but she watched Regina scamper off before deciding to head back to the stables to figure something out in the meantime. She made the leisurely walk back while the sun set. The horses whinnied at her presence when she arrived at first, but easily quieted down when she started to pet them. She heard footsteps and assumed Daniel had returned from the marketplace.

"That was quick," she said with her back to the sound. A woman's voice answered her.

"Well I would hope so, I only came from right outside, where you can see straight into the beginning of the wood."

Emma whipped her head around. A much older woman stood before her in a flowing blue dress. She could begin to see the resemblance she held to her Regina. Especially in the way that she held herself. Emma had a guess to who this woman was and already disliked her. Especially from what she'd observed from Regina's behavior concerning her.

"I must say, seeing you defile my daughter in broad daylight along with that stable boy was quite the show. Now tell me," she jeered, "Did she cum for you?" she looked Emma up and down with disgust, "Or for him?"

Emma scowled, "Who are you?"

"Cora," her mouth twisted with false pleasantries as she inclined her head.

"What do you want?" she asked, sensing a threat.

"You don't care for that Daniel boy much, now, do you?" Cora sidestepped.

"What do you want?" Emma repeated harshly, drawing her dagger.

Cora completely ignored the weapon and tisked, "You seem to dislike him almost as much as I do." She let out a curt chuckle as Emma failed to stop her emotions from commandeering her. Cora smirked at how easily Emma gave herself away and she wasted no time as she cut right to her point in an almost business-like manner.

"Rid me of her love, and in exchange, I have _quite_ the proposition for you… _Savior_."

**A/N: so this was my first fic ive written (be gentle!) and i left it open to continue, but i think it will depend on the sort of response i receive, so by all means, PLEASE REVIEW! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** RED  
**Author:** Swanqueen-Fangirl  
**Beta(s):** none; mistakes are mine.  
**Fandom:** Once Upon A Time - I own nothing.  
**Rating:** M  
**Pairing:** Regina/Daniel/Emma, Stable Swan Queen.  
**Summary:** AU: Emma lands in FTL and recognizes a young Regina who is betrothed to Daniel. Cora offers Emma a deal.  
**A/N:**  
Hello lovelies!  
So a few things:

This was supposed to be only a one shot, but inspiration took flight, whatsup! I feel as though I shot myself in the foot with having added in Storybrooke but, I'm going to run with it and see what happens. Difficult problems just need creative solutions, right? (Heads up, this fic is going to be all over the place.) I have no endgame and this is all really experimental, so continuity with the show will…just be...almost nonexistent. I think that's it… Oh, and don't expect monogamous relationships. ;)

okay so chapter 2:

* * *

"Why the hell would I help you?" Emma spat. Cora cast a patronizing look and with a snap of her fingers, Mary Margaret appeared in a flash of purple smoke.

"Mary Margaret!" Emma gasped at the sight of her mother bound by vines and gagged with a wad of fabric in her mouth. Her eyes were wide and she was shaking her head back and forth as much as the binds would allow her to. Her efforts to speak were for not, as only strangled noise eluded her. Cora raised an eyebrow at the name Emma spoke, but said nothing. Emma advanced towards her mother in an effort to cut her restraints.

"Oh I don't think so," Cora chided, and with a wave of her hand, purple smoke flashed again to reveal the blonde's mother had disappeared again.

"Let her go!" Emma yelled, gripping her dagger in both hands and pointing it at the witch.

"For a price," Cora countered. "A life for a life; kill the stable boy, and your companion lives."

"Why do you need me to kill him? Don't you have your own cronies to do your bidding?" Emma bit back.

"Oh, I could have the boy killed at any moment I wish, but nothing would come of it. You see, I knew Daniel's parents before they….passed away" she said wryly. "They used to be my servants" she admitted, "and I know for a fact that he was _also_ a child borne of true love." Emma wore an expression of confusion as her brow crumpled inward at the information.

"Oh no, did you think you were special? That you were one of a kind?" Cora mused, "While it is extremely _rare_, it's not unheard of. Fortunately, my daughter seems to have a knack for finding people with your…," she looked Emma up and down with a sneer, "…qualifications." Cora adjusted her sleeve and continued, "A child borne of true love can achieve many a things others cannot, which is what I will require of you. "

"To kill Daniel?"

"Precisely," she said, "For when a child of true love kills _another_ borne of true love, something quite special happens. When said child dies, their soul becomes enchanted enough to power any spell." She magicked a small red pouch with a golden tie no larger than her palm out of thin air and threw it at Emma's feet.

"You'll need this to deliver the soul back to me."

Emma ignored the red pouch at her feet and hardened her stare, "What spell?"

"Well that_ is_ the golden question, isn't it?" Cora taunted before returning to her business-like demeanor, "_You_ will be the one to kill the boy, and in return, Snow White will live. Do we have an accord?"

Emma's mind was rushing at the speed of light trying to digest all of the information. There had to be a way out of this. A loophole, something!

"Going once."

Was Mary Margaret's life worth that of an unknown spell? Emma had no doubt it would be bad, but how could she sacrifice her without knowing? Who was _she_ to decide someone's fate?

"Going twice."

Would magic help her? Good always wins, right? There has to be another way, she'll find it somehow.

Cora raised her hand to either summon Mary Margaret back, or summon what she would use to kill her.

"OKAY!" Emma yelled, not knowing what else to do, "DEAL." She threw out her hand and Cora wrenched it in her own, a sick smile on her face. Black mist slithered down her sleeve and wrapped around their handshake. Emma felt a hundred tiny static shocks impale her hand in Cora's death grip. She started to feel weaker by the second, and as suddenly as it came, the inky vapor disappeared.

"Your word is bound," Cora said evenly, boring into Emma's eyes. She brought her hand up in a summoning pose once more and paused before adding, "I wouldn't dally about if I were you." In a last gurgle of purple smoke, she was gone.

Emma crumpled to the floor, drained of strength and reached for the red pouch next to her. It was velvety soft, but otherwise, completely normal looking. She curled into a fetal position on the floor and started to breathe unevenly, trying to hold back any sobs. She knew it solved nothing; she had learned that early on from her years in the system. Long nights spent wishing for decent foster parents never made any difference.

Her head was still spinning and replaying everything that had just transpired. Had she really just promised to kill Regina's other lover in order to save her own mother? _Oh god, what am I going to do. _She couldn't kill him. There had to be another way. _Mary Margaret would know what to do,_ her mind whispered. Her sight returned to where she had appeared briefly and then to the castle standing tall in the moonlight not far from the stables themselves.

It would be suicide to waltz in there and try to rescue her mother. And with what, a dagger as her only weapon? Against magic? She concluded that she was absolutely and utterly fucked. Where would she even find someone who could possibly help her? The only people she knew in this land were a teenage girl and the man she was to murder. She needed someone who knew this land and she let out a long sigh and lay on the floor taking it all in for several more minutes before deciding her first move. She needed to find Regina again.

* * *

**Storybrooke  
**

"Something must have happened," the mayor said in greeting as she opened her door to the man standing on her porch.

"You think so? Maybe they—"

"I know so," she said flatly, motioning for him to come in. He followed her to the study. "Portal jumping and time don't always sync up. What should have taken an hour there would have been two, maybe three days here."

"It's been a week" he stated. Regina looked up at him, an ocean view staring back. "I know, David" she said softly, wringing her hands with nervous energy, "I'm worried." David moved forward to close the gap between them and took the queen's hands and held them in his rough grasp.

"We'll find them," he said earnestly, rubbing small circles over the back of her hand with his brow slightly furrowed. Regina shifted infinitesimally closer to him and David picked up on it instantly. He was always acutely aware of her presence when he was around her.

They had come a long way since Emma had first announced that she and Regina were _together_. It wasn't without conflict that David had accepted his daughter's choice of a partner, although, there was still a considerable amount of tension from Emma's mother about the whole affair.

David looked down to the small gesture of comfort he had offered the mayor. The thought of his daughter's hands caressing this same woman beneath his grip surfaced in his mind like a crocodile in water. He couldn't help but wonder at the passing thought of what she sounded like in bed, an univited image of the Mayor moaning from his daughter's mouth between her legs pervaded his thoughts. Then again, he _had_ gotten a glimpse of that before.

He had accidentally walked in on one of their secret meetings they used to plan. David had found out about Emma and Regina far before they had become an item. He remembered it in excruciating detail, as it wasn't everyday he found out his daughter liked women.

It was the annual Storybrooke Fair and David had managed to slink away from the general activities to sneak a much needed cigarette. It was a nasty habit he had picked up during the curse and Mary Margaret was making him quit. After a much needed dose of nicotine from behind the town hall, he decided to short cut his way through the inside of the building to return to the fair.

As he walked through, he had heard muffled shouts coming from somewhere in the building. Alarmed, he searched for the closest weapon within his reach, which sadly was just a sharp letter opener. He then systematically followed the noise though the building until he reached the last of the council's offices. The shouts were definitely coming from in there. He gripped the letter opener in his palm and thrust the door open.

He was met with a woman spread eagle on top of a desk, legs open and head thrown back. He could see the goose bumps on her flesh and her stiffened dusky nipples. Another was on her knees, head between those supple olive thighs. Regina had merely observed his intrusion, met his eyes and purred, "Care to join?"

He hadn't realized his mouth was hanging open for some time until he tried to speak. The blonde woman on her knees had immediately whipped her head around in shock. His eyes had traced her naked body from behind and he had known all along whose golden locks were betwixt the brunette's thighs. She plagued his dreams at night; of course he would know. Emma's eyes expanded exponentially as she yelled out, "Fuck!" and scrambled to hide behind the desk. Regina on the other hand, had given a throaty chuckle and in a minx like fashion, simply rearranged herself so she was less exposed.

He realized he had hesitated and still completely stunned, David had gapped like a fish out of water, not even managing to voice his objections. His mind was still busy decoding what he had just walked in on. _Care to join? _ He ended up backing out of the room and slamming the door shut. The arguing between the two women didn't fully reach his ears through the closed door, as he stood there, but soon enough the door swung open and Emma nearly knocked David over, still buttoning up her shirt.

"David," Emma colored. Regina smoothly walked out of the room impeccably dressed like she wasn't just screaming her lungs out in pleasure five minutes earlier. She purposely walked in between them and threw Emma's father a knowing smirk. She then turned to Emma who still had some of Regina's essence glistening on the side of her mouth and said, "Let me get that, dear." The older woman flicked out her pink tongue and purposefully licked her own arousal off Emma's face. Regina really did enjoy women who tasted like her and the blonde couldn't help but let out a small sound of content. She intentionally made a scene of kissing Emma in front of David, just for effect. She wasn't so much as bragging, but in an animalist sense, marking her territory. Regina ended the exchange and pulled away from her with a cool look and challenged David to protest.

He still couldn't believe what he had just witnessed. The woman who he had tried so hard to protect his baby girl from, was the only one she wanted to be involved with. He had no idea where to even start; he couldn't wrap his head around the situation. David gawked at Emma for an explanation, but the Mayor's exhibition had said more than Emma would. Satisfied she won the round, Regina strutted off to rejoin the fair outside, leaving the two Charmings shocked in the hallway, ogling her departure.

"David. David, are you alright?" a concerned voice brought him back from the dark labyrinth of his mind. He let go of her hands, stepped back, and blinked twice, "I- I'm fine. I'm just thinking…there must be something we can do. Can we get to them?" he asked. She bit her bottom lip, "I'm not sure. I would need more magic than I currently have to get both of us through."

"Gold?" David suggested.

"You know just as well as I do, that he doesn't do anything for free," Regina tersely replied, "Unless of course _you _are the one who is going to make a deal with him." David remained silent before offering, "What about Jefferson? He's still around, right? Will your magic get us there through that hat of his?" Regina considered.

"It's…possible," she said, thinking it over, "There wouldn't be a guarantee that it will work, but it's a better alternative than dealing with that imp." David nodded in agreement; they were going to try to keep Gold out of this.

"Okay then, when should we—"

"Now," she commanded.

"Now?"

"Yes, _now_," she said giving him a look laced with slight irritation, "the sooner, the better."

Regina grabbed her keys off the table and met David at the door. He lightly placed his hand on the small of her back as he walked her to her Benz and opened the door for her, feeling the warmth of her leave his palm when she got in. He jogged around to the passenger side, hopped in and they made their way over to Jefferson's place.

When they pulled up, Regina noticed it had become more disheveled than the last time she had driven this way to the lake nearby. The grass and hedges were overgrown, the windows were boarded up and the entire house had an abandoned feel to it.

"Are you sure he's still here?" David asked, taking in the eyesore. Regina exited her car and looked to the single tree in the yard where there was a perfectly gardened ring of mushrooms surrounding it.

"Oh he's here," she said discerningly, a concentrated frown making an appearance across her features. They walked up to the house and took the three ascending steps to the porch. David led and made to ring the doorbell.

"No, don't!" Regina warned too late. He had already hit the bell and a mocking charm could be heard marking its way through the home. A deep creaking sound exuded from the portion of the deck David was directly standing over. He fell away with a yelp as the floor was removed from under him and into the dark abyss below.

"Idiot," Regina muttered, peering down the trap door's hole where David cascaded down. No doubt it led to one of Jefferson's dungeons. She sighed as she tried to predict which one it would be as she graciously poofed herself to appear standing next to David who had landed at an unfriendly angle and was still a heap on the floor, groaning.

"What did I tell you?" she snapped at him.

"Well, you should have told me _before_," he bit back angrily, unfolding himself. Regina looked around to determine where they were. The walls were lined with soundproof material and an assortment of items was hanging on the wall nearest them.

Ah, so sex dungeon it is, she regarded. Jefferson always was a kinky bastard. Not realizing she had spoken her last words aloud, her head spun around when a voice replied, "For a second there, I thought you might've forgotten, your Majesty."

"Jefferson," she said, trying to mask her surprise at his sudden appearance.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" he asked. He gave David a once over as he watched him clambered his way back into an upright position.

"We need your help," David stated. Jefferson waltz closer to the both of them. "Emma and Snow; we think something happened to them and we need your hat to get to Fairy Tale Land."

"And why would I help you do that?" he countered with a bored expression and an uninterested tone.

"Becau—"

"Name your price," Regina interjected.

Jefferson paused, considering, "You know, I've been rather lonely lately," he trailed off, looking between David and her. Regina pursed her lips, already knowing where this was heading.

"Remember when you would visit Wonderland?" he asked. Regina inhaled slowly and tried not to roll her eyes as she waited for Jefferson to finish his spiel. "You remember how your mother would force you to discipline the servants who...misbehaved, yes?" David watched their exchange, his eyes bouncing back and forth between Regina's reactions and Jefferson's words spilling from his mouth.

"I used to watch you, you know, and I must say it was always _quite_ entertaining." Regina's lip started to curl in disgust. She remembered seeing him always getting himself off watching her from the Tulgey Woods as she 'retrained' unruly servants to her mother's liking. She had become quite successful at it and had even taken pleasure in the cruelness she got to exhibit. Jefferson arched an eyebrow, and brought his fist to rest underneath his chin as he blew out a stream of air, contemplating his price. David shifted uneasily when Jefferson's eyes met Regina's and he tilted his head ever so slightly towards the wall next to her.

"If that's your price," she confirmed, "very well." Regina looked to her left and walked towards the wall. Like Ariel's collection, he had everything. She examined his trinkets and toys before extracting one from its place and lightly slapped it against her palm. She'd chosen a black leather riding crop and had slipped the loop attached to the grip around her slender wrist. She turned back around and waited with impatience crossing her features. Jefferson smirked at David who was awkwardly avoiding any eye contact and was looking around the cellar for an exit.

"Oh, don't worry, Charming, that is _her_ price." Jefferson sauntered over to David, invading his space, "Yours, however, will be to join us." David visibly blanched.

"What? No! There's no way I'm—"he tried to rephrase his protests, I'm not—"

"Do you want to see your family again or not?" Jefferson pushed.

David was trying to think of a way out, anything else he could offer as he looked to Regina who wouldn't meet his view. The whole reason they had come here was to strike a deal with the Mad Hatter. It was supposed to have been better than Gold. While a sexual favor for something was nothing new to him, David was still uncomfortable with the idea of having to preform one himself. He had no other way to rationalize it: this was for his family.

When David didn't justify an answer immediately, the hatter continued, "It's really quite simple. This is my price, so yes or no?" The seconds ticked by in reticence.

"Yes," David finally relented, looking down, "Yes, of course."

"Excellent," Jefferson clapped him on the back and roughly pushed him down. David's knees hit the floor with an audible thud. The Hatter then dropped to his own knees in front of the former evil queen and said with full commitment, "Punish us."

Unable to help herself, Regina revealed a wicked grin.

_This is going to be fun._

**Please Review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** I own nothing and there be mentions of incest here…ye be warned.

* * *

Regina removed her grey blazer and button down white shirt so her movements would not be constricted. David and Jefferson's eyes groped the tops of her breasts that were being held captive by her black laced bra. Regina tapped the ebony riding crop lightly in her palm and gave it a few experimental swipes through the air. She walked back and forth between the two men at her feet, stretching the back slit of her pencil skirt. Her heels clicked back and forth, deliberately punctuating the silence in the cellar. Seemingly satisfied with her choice of equipment, the brunette took a moment to summon her inner queen and her grin completely evaporated. With her head held high and her posture straight as a rod, Regina seemed to grow inches taller.

"You will address me as Madame Mayor at all times," she said harshly. As much as she loved hearing 'your majesty', Regina had grown more accustomed to hearing her position of power that resided in Storybrooke.

"Do I make myself clear?" Heels. Click. Click.

"Yes. Madame Mayor." Jefferson uttered fervently, his excitement poorly hidden.

Regina's heels quieted and she went ridged. She spun to face them both and slapped the black crop across David's cheek. The crop whizzed through the air and he let out a yelp, not expecting the strong blow. His skin instantly burst into scarlet flames at the point of impact. Jefferson was hardly suppressing his amusement as he muffled his own chuckle.

"Was I not clear?" she demanded, raising her voice.

"No."

She raised her crop.

"No, no, M-Madame Mayor," David coughed out.

"I can't hear you, slave, LOUDER."

"NO MADAME MAYOR," David yelled in a panic. He flinched when she dragged the crop over his reddened cheek and tapped him once.

"Good. You unworthy cunts will do what I say, when I say it, or you will be punished," she paused before adding, "_severely_."

"Now strip," a hint of a smile glinted in her dark eyes. Jefferson and David quickly fumbled around on their hands and knees to remove their clothing.

"FASTER," she whipped Jefferson on the flesh nearest her and the slap of the crop echoed the room. Soon, the brunette was looking down at two fully nude men, down on their knees before her. Jefferson was clearly aroused and hard as a rock. David, on the other hand, was still quite flaccid and a blush was creeping onto his features when he caught sight of her inspecting them.

"What's the matter, David? Do you need Jefferson here to help you?" the queen teased. The mad hatter took it as his cue and moved his hands from the floor to slowly start massaging David. The prince completely froze. While Regina realized she was playing her part for this sick fuck, Jefferson, but she graciously decided to at least_ try_ and keep David's humiliation to a minimum. After all, what was in store for him was probably enough. She slapped Jefferson's hand away from David with the crop.

"Your attention belongs to ME," she said fiercely, "I AM your ruler and I AM your master. Bow down and _beg_ me to take mercy on you." Jefferson genuinely started to fear the repercussions she threatened him with, and on all fours he begged, "Spare me Madame Mayor, I didn't know! I thought you wanted me to! Please, I—"

"Silence." He immediately silenced his pleas.

Her heels resumed their clicking as she circled her way around the men. She dragged the crop over David's bare ass and Regina took note that he must really not have had any fun in the bedroom before this, as he showed absolutely no change. Regina then continued dragging the crop against Jefferson's ass and received the reaction she was looking for. The hatter froze and held his breath in fear. Oh he was afraid and Regina inwardly simpered.

"That wasn't nearly good enough for your master," she said in quiet discontent, bouncing the crop on Jefferson's rear with increasing force. His fists clamped shut in anticipation while Regina took her time. She removed the item from his skin and let time take a lazy yawn.

"When I said beg, I meant BEG," she brought the crop back to meet him and lashed his end with all the anger she had. Jefferson cried out a sound that switched seamlessly between pain and pleasure. Red marks flourished on his skin and grew like weeds in number.

She pulled back in disgust. "You are failures; both of you! You disappoint me almost as much as you've disappointed your families…. your daughters," the brunette added slowly, an evil smile breaking her jaw in two. "Yes, now where _are_ the little whores?" she mocked. Jefferson's demeanor quickly changed along with David's. Oh yes, she'd found their weakness. Jefferson clenched his jaw and even David's features looked rather cross. Regina let a throaty chuckle escape her.

"A boy can make a child, but it takes a man to raise one," she inflicted, "You are the scum of this Earth and I've seen better filth on the soles of my shoes. Speaking of which, I think they're starting to look a bit scuffed, don't you think?" she looked down at her night black heels, "Clean. Them." she enunciated.

"Yes, Madame Mayor," came the unified response. David took his cue from Jefferson who immediately groveled towards Regina and flicked his tongue out to swipe at her black heels, licking them as clean as he could get the shoe in front of him. David was much less enthused about it, but followed suit.

"Enough," she said, stepping away from them, with an almost bored tone. The queen liked a challenge more than anything. "Let's play a game, shall we?" She pointed the crop down at Jefferson. You will now answer to Emma," she pointed at David, "and you will now answer to Grace."

"I know Jefferson said he was lonely, but what's the matter David?" Regina asked him, addressing his limp situation. She perused Jefferson's wall until she plucked a blindfold from its place and walked back over to where the boys were still on the floor.

"On your feet!" she bellowed and pointed,"hands behind your head, to the wall." She had spied a set of handcuffs that were hanging from a low rafter. Jefferson motioned to get up from his position.

"Not you." Regina pushed a heel into his back, "I was talking to _Grace." _David wore an alarmed look as he cautiously made his way up. Regina was still behind him, watching his back muscles move himself before her. She then took the blindfold and slipped it onto his face.

"Walk," she commanded. David tottered uneasily in front of him until Regina stopped him under the low rafter.

"Arms up." He hesitated and she fisted her hand into his hair and jerked his head back. His arms instantly appeared above his head and she extracted the key that was jammed into the handcuffs, and gave it David's wrists in return. Jefferson had been observing the scene through his legs.

Regina remained behind David and beckoned with a single bent finger to Jefferson,"Emma, come." Unlike David, he knew her rules and instead of trying to stand to his master's height, he crawled in servility towards Regina and David, remaining on hands and knees below.

"Okay now, _Grace_," Regina began to lightly stroke the blindfolded prince's back as she waited for the Hatter to come hither. When he arrived Jefferson sat on his haunches, waiting for further commands.

"Don't think too much now, just _feel," _she whispered into David's ear.

With the blindfold on, David's senses were on high alert. He didn't know what to expect, but he could feel the fabric of Regina's laced bra brushing against his back. He could feel the purposeful motion of her breasts rubbing against him. He could feel her hot breath at his neck and feathery eyelashes scraping against his cheek. Then there were soft hands running the length of his torso, up and down, running repeatedly over the cut of his abdomen. David could also feel another set of hands. They were down at his feet, running over his ankles and slowly massaging themselves up his calves. When the hands reached his inner thighs, he simultaneously felt the softest of lips caress the very back of his neck. He must have misheard, for only an instant, he thought he caught a whispered 'oh Emma ' escape the brunette who was half entwined with him. Images of himself making Regina moan spontaneously bombarded his thoughts as he listened to her.

Regina moved her mouth to his ear again, this time, there was no mistaking it as she moaned directly into his ear. Combined with Jefferson's touch, David was very soon fully aroused. Regina then gave a single nod to Jefferson, who was on his knees before the prince. She knew from the way the hatter's eyes had groped David that it wasn't her he wanted. The punishing bit was his idea for her to force David to agree to him; making the oaf believe it was the other way around. The naïve prince gasped in shock when Jefferson took him into the warmth of the hatter's mouth unexpectedly.

With her heels on, Regina could rest her chin on David's shoulder and she look over to enjoy the sight of Jefferson greedily taking him in, his wish granted and hands roaming to grope David's backside as well. Regina's lips were still attached to David's ear.

"Say his name," she breathed huskily, referring to the alias she commanded Jefferson to now answered to.

"Emma," he moaned.

"Beg the daughter you failed to raise, to finish you off," she leered. Regina could tell from his breathing that he was getting close.

"Oh god, Emma," he panted, bucking his hips deeper into the Hatter's throat, "Don't stop." Regina might've paused at how quickly he complied to shout out his own daughter's name, but she was too aroused herself at the thought of it. The brunette always did find him attractive, and it was obvious which side of her parents Emma got her looks from. It certainly wasn't from that insufferable wife of his. Regina's smiled into the prince's back when she realized she was groping for breasts that weren't there; habit. She lowered her hands and removed herself from behind him altogether, preferring to watch David cum from a different perspective.

Jefferson was an easy man to please, she mused as she observed from the side, and he had one hand and his mouth working David, and his other attending to his own extremity in a furious motion. He started to fidget and released David's member from his mouth and increased his hand movements on both of them. Regina moved closer to Jefferson in order to slap him fiercely with the crop once more and she yelled, "Say their names, you worthless fucks." The room erupted with the sound of fathers yelling out their daughters' names in ecstasy.

"Oh Gr—Grace, oh Jesus, Grace," Jefferson panted

"Fuck, Emma, ohhh," David continued.

Of course Jefferson would cum first, Regina thought and watched him spaz and soon ejaculate all over the floor. Jefferson reattached his mouth to David's cock, and like a straw to a thick shake, sucked him hard until the prince came in his mouth. Regina's lip curled at the sight. Men could be so messy_. _Jefferson swallowed hard and licked his lips, savoring David's taste.

Regina shook her head back and forth while she circled them. "You two couldn't even control yourselves from practically defiling your own daughters." She didn't say it in disgust, albeit in complete amusement at their failure, their weakness. Jefferson wore an expression of guilt, but didn't dare protest. Regina through the key of the handcuffs down at his feet.

"You've had your fun, now release him," she authorized.

"Thank you Madame Mayor,"he said reverently and kissed her heel before standing up to undo the restraints. David then ripped off his blindfold and went straight to his clothes to redress himself, staring at the floor and his cheeks coloring.

"Oh come on now," Regina prodded with a wicked grin, "Nothing you hadn't done before." David continued his staring contest with the floor, but clenched his jaw. The brunette turned to a still nude Jefferson,"Our deal?" she inquired. He nodded and left the dungeon to retrieve his hat.

"Kinky bastard" she said to his departure. David stared unsure if this was still part of the charade or not because Regina turned around and somehow it was immediately apparent that the queen was gone. Just like that, she was simply Regina Mills again. As soon as the hatter was gone, David tersely asked,"How long?" Regina blinked in response.

"How long have you known?" he clarified, shame tingeing his cheeks.

"Oh dear, before the curse broke," she gave him a smug look, "_I_ was the one who arranged your… chance of a meeting, but that was well before I took an interest your precious Emma." Her predatory voice started slinking out, rounding on her prey, "Who would've thought you and I would have such similar tastes in women? Then again, I know you wish I wasn't with her." She threw on her grey blazer over her black lace bra, disregarding her white button up.

"You don't hide your…_feelings_ for me very well." She pointedly motioned her head towards his lower half and still feeling like she was on a roll, she added, "It must run in the family" with a smirk.

David erupted in anger and Regina was met with an open palm to the side of her face. A loud smack echoed through the cellar and the unexpected momentum knocked her over when she lost her footing due to the constriction of her tight pencil skirt. Sprawled on the floor, she cradled her face with her hand.

"Oh god, Regina!" David yelled, realizing what he'd just done. He crouched down next to her to help her up. When his hands found her shoulder and wrist, she grabbed back with a vise like grip. She closed her eyes in concentration and suddenly David was convulsing, veins popping out on his neck and his grip anchored to the angry brunette. When he buckled to the floor next to her, she seethed a vicious threat, "Don't you EVER lay your hands on me like that again, or next time I won't stop." She sent a last electrical shock through his body for emphasis and a loud crackling noise dissipated through the air.

Jefferson took that moment to return to the basement, holding his hat in hand. "Oh ho, round two already?" he bantered, seeing them piled up around each other on the floor. Regina glared at him and made her way up, making sure to step on a crumpled David with her heel.

"Oof," he let out, soon trying to test his weight out on his shaky legs. The hatter bowed his head to Regina and held out his hat.

"Our deal is complete, Madame Mayor," he said with a glint in his eye. Regina snatched it out of his hand and shoved it into David's chest for him to hold.

"Let's go," she said.

* * *

**FTL**

Emma eventually picked herself off of the stable floor where Cora had disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke. She glanced back at the Castle not far from her and figured it must be where Regina—and Cora resided. She stayed there for a while, leaning against the stable wall and gazing up at the stars in contemplation. Emma needed a clear head in order to examine the shitfest she had just gotten herself into. Emma started to make her way to the castle and up the rolling slope of a hill and froze. A man was walking in her direction. Who else would she possibly have the chance of running into right now? Of course it would be him; Daniel.

Emma's mind was racing at the speed of light. Should she just get it over with right here and now? There's no one around, she has her dagger and it's dark enough that no one would be the wiser. The momentary thought of actually killing someone chilled her blood. There was no way she could do that. _How do you know? _A little voice whispered in her head. Stilled by indecision, Daniel had continued walking towards her in a leisurely stroll.

"I can see you, you know," he playfully said to a still rooted Emma. She loosened her stance and tried to play it off.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked him.

He tilted his head to the castle, "I gave Regina the basket she forgot at the marketplace not too long ago," he said easily. Emma eyed him and wondered what else he gave her. She could feel the pull towards him like the first time they had been alone in the stables. The blonde wondered if it really was because they were both born of true love or if it was something else. She could feel the air between them start to thicken and there was an awkward silence before they both spoke at once. Daniel chortled at the misstep and she waited for him to speak first.

"I better get going while I can still find my way," he said.

"Where you headed?" Emma inquired.

"Home. Not far from here and right near the market actually," he said with a smile, a soft breeze playing at his hair.

"Oh," Emma inelegantly said, "yeah, I should—be on my way as well."

"Until we meet again, Emma," he gave the smallest of bows, meeting her eyes, and turned to go on his way.

"Daniel?" she hesitantly asked before he'd gone too far. He stopped mid stride and looked over his shoulder at her in the moonlight.

"Where did you….? Which is—"she fumbled before he completed her question for her with a knowing nod, "She's on the East side in her room with the balcony on the second floor." Emma gave him a grateful half smile to show her appreciation,"Thanks."

"I wouldn't dare let her mother catch you walking the grounds this late. Stick to the shadows and there's a tree right next to the balcony that you shouldn't have any trouble with." He took a couple steps towards the blonde before continuing, "Whatever this is," he motioned between them, "and whatever is going on between you two… just promise me you won't hurt her." Emma gulped with the realization she was already on the boulevard to causing the brunette heartbreak.

"Promise me you'll take care of her," he said looking deep into emerald. She put an exploratory hand up to rest on his cheek. Even in the night, his eyes reflected her own image back at her within a honey gaze.

"I'll try," Emma allowed. Daniel studied her for a moment, having expected a fierce affirmative as her response. He breathed her in once more before slinking away into the night and on his way back to his own cottage. With his back to her, Emma released a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. She watched him take the path back to the marketplace until she couldn't see him anymore. Emma wondered if she did the right thing in waiting to end him with her dagger. She shook the thought from her head and continued on her way to the castle.

She did as Daniel suggested and cruised along the shadows as best she could until she came around to the East side and spotted the tree leading perfectly up next to the balcony. She shimmied up the tree, only needing a running start to hop up at first and then easily climbed up its limbs to reach the balcony. Her boots made a light tap as they hit the floor. Emma could see movement through the window panes and the glass door was slightly ajar. She didn't want to startle Regina so she tapped her nail on the pane of the glass a few times and from inside, she heard Regina springing to the door.

"Forget something, Da—"Regina pushed open the glass door and the words died on her lips as she saw who standing before here.

"Emma?" Regina said, confused over having expected Daniel. Emma felt the familiar stab of jealousy at the mistake.

"Hi," the blonde awkwardly said with her hands shoved deep into her pockets, "Um, can I…" she motioned inside.

"Oh of course!" Regina said opening up enough for her to slip inside and she shut the entrance behind them.

"Are we leaving?" she eagerly asked Emma, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"Huh?" Emma wasn't sure what she meant.

"Are you taking me away from here?" she clarified just as eagerly.

"Oh, um, I don't know where I'd take you," Emma confessed,"I don't know this land."

"Anywhere is better than here," the teen sighed.

"Hey, don't worry," she wrapped her arms around the brunette who snuggled into her weaving her arms though hers, "We'll figure this out, but first I need to ask you something."

"Yes," she breathed.

Emma chuckled, "Hold on there, you don't even know what I was going to ask."

"I don't need to know," she said cheekily, "The answer is yes; anything for you, Emma."

The older woman grinned when Regina batted her eyelashes up at her from their embrace. She gave a tight squeeze before she let go. Emma then kicked off her boots and they settled onto Regina's bed, sitting next to each other with their backs resting up against the headboard.

Emma had to wonder where this sweet teenager went and what had happened to her on the way to becoming the Mayor she knew. Emma loved her older counterpart, but they were virtually two different women and she found that to be somewhat troublesome. The young brunette was so light and innocent and full of bouncing energy here. The Mayor had told her the odd story of how she loved to ride horses or pick apples as a teen, but being able to see her younger self here in the flesh was something else entirely. Not to mention Emma had no idea how it was even possible. She suddenly looked around her surroundings as if searching for reality. Emma tried to hear the beep of machines to see if she was actually in a coma somewhere and this was all a dream.

"Are you okay?" Regina suddenly asked.

Emma's mind came rushing back from its detour, and she blinked away the odd feeling. "I'm fine,"she said,"Just a little tired, is all."

Regina pursed her lips, "What were you going to ask me?" she said, letting it go.

"Do you have magic?" Emma blurted without any pretense.

Regina's face paled, "_Me?_" she asked incredulously, her eyes widening, "No, I'd never learn that." She brought her legs up and circled her arms around them bringing them closer to her chest, "I wouldn't want to,"she said softly.

"Do you know anyone with magic?" Emma ventured.

"My mother," she said crossly, her smile disappearing altogether. "She wants me to learn, but I refuse. I won't be like her and magic isn't any good," the brunette said with anger creeping into her voice.

"I'm sorry," Emma said quietly, realizing there was no way Cora was going to help her undo their deal, "but I really need to see someone. There's a high chance magic is the only thing that can help me." Regina turned to the blonde with alarmed concern spilling out, "What's wrong?"

"I don't want to worry you just yet, I need to make sure first," she answered evasively and avoiding her inquiring eyes. Regina remained silent for a while.

"There is…someone who might be able to help," the teen began, "but I'm honestly not sure where her allegiance lies."

"Who is it?" Emma asked, wondering why allegiances would matter.

"There are stories of a witch who lives along the river bank not too far from here. All I know is that she goes by Miss Ginger,"Regina admitted.

"Do you think she'd help me?" Emma pressured.

"I—I can't say, but it might be worth a try." She paused before demanding her attention with a fierce,"Emma. Magic isn't what you think it is, believe me," she pleaded.

"Well, I need to at least talk to her," Emma decided. Regina sure was preaching to the choir, Emma darkly thought before asking, "Could you draw me a map or something then?"

Regina released her arms from around her legs and sat straight up, "You're leaving?" she practically yelped, "You can't!"

"Regina."

"I won't tell you where she is unless you take me with you!" she yelled, blinking away any tears that threatened to appear.

"Regina!" The brunette fell silent, "I didn't say I wouldn't take you. I _am_ saying that it's a bad idea, but I really do need you to help me." It would be good to travel with someone who knew the land, she thought. Regina had a mischievous grin overcome her, "When do we leave?" a wicked gleam in her eye.

"Well I figured we won't get anywhere in the dark, so we'll leave in the morning." Emma said.

"And you're taking me with you?" Regina asked again.

"And I'm taking you away from here," Emma confirmed. Regina squealed and threw her Emma into a suffocating hug. When she pulled back,the blonde met her lips with a single kiss. Regina's eyelashes fluttered shut at the contact.

"Tomorrow?" she asked.

"Tomorrow," Emma said evenly.

They curled up together underneath Regina's bedding, and even though Emma was bigger than the girl, Regina's reaction was almost automatic. Emma became the little spoon, wrapped tight into the little brunette. Soon their breathing slowed and their heartbeats synced into one as Regina snuggled into the older woman's neck with an arm thrown over her side. And they slept.

It was in the dead of night when Emma's dreams melted away as she shot straight up, her heart pounding hard as Regina's shrill screams pierced the air.


	4. Chapter 4

Emma awoke in the middle of the night by Regina's earsplitting screams. She sprung straight up with her heart beating hard in her throat. Fear. She felt it strong and true. Emma's eyes were quickly scanning the vicinity immediately around the bed for any intruders or threats, but she saw nothing there. The blonde instantly turned her attention to her young lover who was thrashing beside her in the bed.

"Regina?" Emma called with a shaky voice. "REGINA!" she yelled louder. There was no response, but the brunette was shaking her head back and forth with her eyes still closed.

"WAKE UP!" Emma gripped her by her upper arms and started to shake her, but it was almost as if that made her worse, like Regina could sense a threat, a hand lashed out and struck Emma. Regina's nails carving themselves into the side of her neck, and Emma gasped in shock not expecting the blow. Falling away for a moment, Emma could feel the tremors traveling though the bed as Regina started convulsing with beads of sweat dotting her forehead.

"Oh god, oh god, oh god," Emma completely panicked. The teenager wasn't waking up! She had no idea what to do. The blonde shook and yelled at her constantly, but nothing seemed to drag Regina out of the hell she was perpetually trapped in.

Emma felt tears of frustration and fear start to cloud her vision. She propped her writhing Regina up into her arms and tried to hold her, watching her eyes roll back in her head. Her brow would furrow and her fists would clench as she screamed bloody murder. Emma didn't bother wiping the moisture from her eyes.

"Wake up," she sobbed. She hesitated before striking Regina full in the face, the slap lost in the commotion. The only thing it succeeded in was turning Regina's face away. The brunette's hands began clawing at the air and Emma's arms incurred a wrath of scratches. Emma's tears dripped down from her cheek only to land onto the teen's face as she rocked her back and forth. Not knowing what to do with her complete uselessness, Emma prayed each second that it would end.

_What if she's dying? _The thought surfaced._ What the fuck am I supposed to do? Why won't she wake up? _Emma smacked her hand repeatedly against Regina's cheek a few more times hoping for a reaction—any reaction, but none prevailed. She held the body of the brunette tighter against her own, feeling her heart racing and her breathing close to hyperventilating.

Emma had never felt like such a bystander in her entire life. Regina wasn't foaming at the mouth, but Emma could only guess. There was absolutely nothing she could do; whatever was happening to her love, it was on the inside. That wasn't something the blonde could actively fix, so instead, she held her hand to Regina's jerking cheek and fluttering eyelids. Emma's eyes followed the wandering path of a single tear that had started to trickle from Regina's closed eyes as whimpers escaped her.

"Wake up. Please wake up," Emma could barely vocalize, kissing the brunette's forehead with her eyes squeezed shut. Regina let out one last ear splitting scream before going completing limp in Emma's arms. Emma's eyes widened as she jarred her more violently, "REGINA! REGINA!"

Like coming up from underwater, Regina inhaled hard and her eyes flew wide open and back went ridged as she popped up. She immediately deflated into Emma's waiting arms that were already supporting her. She enveloped her arms around her savior and openly broke down with heavy tears that flowed freely down her cheeks. And she sobbed. Emma was so relieved that whatever just happened was over, she could do nothing but kiss and embrace the teen as if she had returned from the dead.

"I was so scared!" Emma blubbered. Regina seemed to be in her own world, still unresponsive to the blonde. Emma was so exhausted from the pure terror of worrying, that she didn't protest in the slightest when Regina lent her full weight onto the blonde and collapsed them both down to the bed. Regina ended up laying half on the blonde and half on the mob of tangled sheets beneath her. Emma held her paramour as close and intensely as she would allow. Regina appeared to be physically okay, if not emotionally.

She seemed to release every tear she'd ever held back in her life and she held Emma in a death grip as if she was the only thing anchoring her to this world. Emma returned the grip in arms locked so tight around the teen, so she'd never float away again. Emma smoothed her hand over Regina's hip, finding her way between the silk fabric to rest her hand on a patch of olive skin that was still clammy. Once her breathing had become steady again, Emma leaned a little closer to give Regina a loving kiss on her cheek. She was careful and light about it, and tasted perspiration. She stayed laying intertwined with her for an indeterminable amount of time until Regina gradually came back to her.

"Emma?" Regina's finally quivered and Emma's anxiety diminished at the sound of her voice.

"Oh thank god," she uttered then asked more concerned, "Are you okay?"

"I—It's nothing I haven't experienced before," she said quietly and rested her head on Emma's shoulder. Regina was incredibly grateful for Emma's presence and that she wasn't alone tonight. The blonde was practically dumbfounded, "What?"

"They're frightening," Regina spoke low and Emma felt the breath of each syllable penetrate her skin, "but they always pass." Emma's brow furrowed as she rubbed her palm over the teen's back, "What are they? You were scaring me. I didn't know what to _do_," she said, straining to keep her voice from cracking. Regina nodded and let the silence breathe between them.

"Mother took care of me the first time it happened," Regina recounted, letting her eyes shut, "but she never came back for any of the occurrences after that. She told me to grow up and deal with them myself and that they're…side effects."

"Of what?" Emma inquired.

"…magic," Regina said softly.

"Magic?" Emma repeated, "I thought you didn't know how."

"Not mine," she explained, "Hers."

"She…uses magic on you?" The blonde asked, unsure of what to make of the fact. Regina fidgeted half atop Emma and nodded into the surface of her arm.

"Jesus," she murmured, took a deep breath, and watched the brunette's head rise in effect. "So what just happened?" Emma asked.

"A side effect of having her dark magic used on me. I suppose some gets transferred as it courses though me and since I refuse to use any of its remainder, it has to come out _somehow_."

"I—I didn't know it worked like that," Emma said, trying to understand, "Does…regular magic leave side effects?"

"I wouldn't know. I've suffered from these magically binding nightmares since…," she stopped short, "…for a long time. I should be used to them by now, but every time is just like the first. I never know they aren't real until I wake up." She shuddered against the blonde.

"Emma, I wish they'd stop," she said in a small voice and the blonde felt her heart ache, "I wish she'd stop." Emma threw her whole body into the hug she pressed into Regina, having nothing more to offer her as a means of escape. The brunette eventually wriggled out of her grip to slide further down her, setting a knee on either side of her hips. She brought herself forward to lay her head directly down over Emma's chest; dark locks cascading around her. Regina's breath slowed as she listened to Emma's heartbeat and she felt the blonde's fingers running through her tresses. The brunette abruptly sat up and gave her a questioning look.

"What?" Emma said innocently. Regina gave way to reveal the smallest of simpers playing at her lips. "Your heart started beating faster," she said, almost with confusion that it might've been because of her.

Emma felt a bashful pink begin to creep into her cheeks at her unintentional reveal. She had slept in only her white tank top and underwear for the night. Emma was acutely aware of the handful of cloth bunched around Regina's upper thighs, where she'd lifted her nightgown to straddle the blonde; not to mention the heat she could feel from between the brunette's divided thighs directly over her.

Regina bent closer to Emma and bestowed a simple kiss. She pulled back nonchalantly, taking her time to admire the two new peaks straining through Emma's translucent tank top. Regina returned for another kiss; this one saying something entirely different in its deepened state. Emma's eyes flashed open before melting shut, taking her in. With passion taking over, she responded by saying everything she could never voice. Regina ran her fingers up along the length Emma's torso with the tank clenched fast in her grip, lifting it upwards inch by inch. The material pooled just under Emma's bust and with a final tug north, Regina was soon compensated with the sight of two pale breasts blooming into view, having sprung free from their cover that was abandoned to the floor. Slender hands found the supple flesh along with a hot mouth and nibbling teeth. Emma moaned and arched into her as she felt Regina coat her protruding tips with the wetness of her tongue before pulling one towards her in a sucking motion, holding tip in teeth before setting it free again and the action causing her breast to quaver.

Emma's own fingers glissaded their way up under Regina's nightwear, pleased to find no other obstacles on her way to the brunette's soft mounds. Regina mollified into her, letting a gentle sigh escape the prison of her ribs like a dove. Emma continued on her conquest up and brought Regina's night dress over the teenager's head to discard easily to the side. Regina experimentally began moving atop the blonde and the only barrier between them was Emma's boy shorts that were becoming quite damp.

Emma found the motion of Regina's bobbing curves almost hypnotic. She could feel Regina's swelled clit creating friction against her in a deliberate up and down motion. The blonde moaned considerably and pushing her hips into the girl, getting wetter by the second. She felt the instant compulsion to feel closer to the brunette; to feel Regina inside of her. Emma gasped suddenly at the direct pressure of Regina's bud massaging against her own. She fisted handfuls of the dark tresses tickling her front and pulled Regina closer. Her breasts skimmed the tips of Emma's as they interlocked in a passionate kiss. Regina's hands tentatively drew circles and squiggles into pale flesh as they made their way south and lingered on a hip bone. The brunette gazed into hooded emerald and stalled. Emma let slip a gentle smile and understood. She playfully captured the teen's bottom lip in her teeth, released her and said, "Here, I'll show you."

Since Emma was still on her back with Regina sitting over her on her haunches, she tapped the side of her thighs so the brunette would prop herself up completely on her knees. Still underneath her, Emma widened her own legs so that she could push Regina's thighs further aloof, and bring her a little closer to Emma as she sunk down. The older woman took the teen's wrist and moved it higher. Regina balanced on her knees before falling forwards, both palms landing open, hitting the mattress on either side of Emma's neck. Missionary.

"A lot like how—, "she cut herself off before she got to the word _Daniel. _She shook her head of the thought. Now that Emma had better access, she placed a palm on the girl's hip and Regina mimicked the action on Emma, using one hand to keep herself propped up. Emma trailed her finger down to Regina's bundle of nerves swiping over it and down to her opening to sop up some of her liquid lust. Emma resisted the urge to lick her fingers or coat the length of her digits with Regina's essence so soon. _If there's one thing I'm going to teach her, it's not going to be how to fuck a girl, _she decided, _it'll be how to make love to one. _

Emma's core ached at the light and exploratory wanderings of Regina's fingertips finding their way to her pooling arousal and skipped a coated finger back up towards her clit. Emma used the faintest of touch on Regina and her eyelashes fluttered. When fingertips eventually located her own bud, Emma's eye dilated. The faint touches morphing into gentle strokes and circles and teasing designs, and Emma felt them reciprocated on herself. She increased the pressure and speed, dipping back into the teen's growing arousal, teasing around her heated opening. Regina took Emma by surprise; while imitating her teasing manner she slipped a slender digit into the blonde before pulling out then back in again. Emma greatly welcomed the intrusion and grinned at Regina overtaking their pace. _Typical, _Emma internally chortled.

She watched Regina's expression as the brunette felt the inside of her Savior for a moment. It was the first time the teenager had felt Emma this way and Regina was completely engulfed in the sensation. It was the sensation of everything that made _Emma _and it was already as if she never wanted to forget. The teen curiously moved inside of her, feeling her walls and testing a few different speeds and motions. Emma moaned her approval as encouragement to the ones she preferred. The Savior was far too eager to please her in return and she teased Regina's folds above her before gently, oh so gently gliding a single finger into her.

"Mmmm," Regina moaned, her fingers abandoning Emma to level down and close any distance between them. With Regina flat against her, Emma rolled them over so that she topped.

While she hadn't been kind to the girl the first time she was inside of her, she took this as a do-over for their first time together. She silently vowed to be how she should've been, instead of pounding the brunette senseless on the dirty floor in the middle of the woods. Emma masked a cringe as she still couldn't believe that turn of events.

The older woman was now propped up and sliding her index finger into Regina once more and easily rocked in and out with the amount of coating she was saturated with. She added a second digit with friction increased and the teen cried out with closed eyes at the sensation. Emma started moderately with long, drawn out, ins and outs, feeling the heated warmth of everything that made _Regina._ Emma couldn't get close enough to her. _This_ wasn't close enough for her. Emma lowered her complete weight onto Regina in increments with a hue of desperation. It was as if with enough contact and pressure, she could eliminate what made them separate beings and let them be _together. _

Being outside of her and completely independent from Regina wasn't good enough for Emma. She wondered how this person beneath her could exist all on her own and away from herself. The blonde contemplated how she'd never really know what the brunette was thinking, what she sees in her memories, what she sees in Emma, or even how she feels about her. How could she be close enough to being physically inside of this angel, and yet so, so far away from her? Emma wanted all of her unconditionally and this wasn't close enough. It was an odd time for the truth of the world to occur to make an appearance to Emma Swan as she watched Regina only inches away and kissed her moaning mouth.

"Regina," Emma whispered delicately into the brunette's cheek between breaths, "Regina?"

The brunette's unfocused gaze narrowed in on green as she threw her arms around the blonde who was still pumping. They both rocked with the momentum.

"I—, "Emma felt her emotions starting to bubble over looking into deep brown and seeing a blurred mirror image of herself reflected in her black pupils.

"I—"

Regina bucked beneath Emma's thrusting and she exhaled loudly. Emma felt the girl's walls tighten up in preparation. Regina's grip on Emma was just as desperate, like she was the only one anchoring her to reality. The brunette's eyes were still locked onto Emma's when a final thrust made her sink her teeth into the blonde's shoulder before a last cry of ecstasy broke free from her. Emma grunted at the bite but held the teen even closer as her orgasm rippled through her, feeling her clench and unclench. Breathing hard Regina's eyes peeled themselves apart with moisture dotting her vision.

"Emma?" She called when she found her voice, as if she wasn't an inch away from her.

"I'm right here," Emma said gently with her arms still around her. She moved to wipe a tear that was balanced precariously on Regina's bottom lash, threatening to jump.

"I—"

"It's okay," Emma finished for her and silenced her lips with a kiss and stroked her chin. Regina was about to protest when a yawn commandeered her response. Emma altered her position and they snuggled under the comforter as their designated spoons. Regina took the outside with her legs tangled into Emma's and an arm thrown over the blonde. Her hand nested in between the valley of Emma's breasts where she could feel the blonde's heartbeat slow. Even in her sleep, Regina seemed to project to the world that Emma was _hers._

What remained of the night passed uneventfully, and soon enough, it was morning.

* * *

Emma awoke, not to any shrill screaming this time, but rather to the sunlight filtering in through the glass door to the balcony. She needn't have turned her head to look at her love, as her warm hand was still buried between her breasts. She stole a couple glances to check up on her anyway. She witnessed a fallen eyelash, a soft sigh, and the way she bit her bottom lip—always towards the left side. Emma watched the dark angel snoozing next to her; her chest slowly rising and falling with each even breath. She let her eyes roam, trying to memorize every detail, and lingering ever so slightly on the scar above her lip. Lips she must've kissed and teased a hundred times by now.

Emma slowly turned the attention of her emerald eyes towards the mussed state of her paramour's hair, choosing to gently guide a stray strand behind her ear. She couldn't help but smile to herself at how lucky she was. The brunette looked so peaceful and content, Emma couldn't bear to rouse her slumber. Instead, she continued to harbor the bliss of having had a beautiful night together, rearranging her limbs to curl back up into the young brunette.

Soon enough the sun woke Regina on its own and she stretched herself awake like a roused cat.

"Morning," Emma said softly, kissing her cheek. Regina let out a teenager's groan at her lack of a full night's sleep. Emma chuckled, pecked her once more, and shimmied off the bed to get dressed.

"Come on, we should get going," Emma prodded the tired teen with a poke of a finger. Regina sat up quickly with widened eyes. "You weren't just saying that? You're really taking me with you?" she asked. Emma looked at her quizzically, "Of course. Now get dressed." Regina didn't need to be told twice as she changed into some riding attire then sat on the edge of the bed next to Emma. She fingered the end of a curl that had captured the sun's tint.

"You have such pretty hair," Regina commented, stroking her fingers though the golden locks, "Can I braid it?"

"Sure," Emma said, crossing her legs and scooting backwards towards Regina. Her hands were nimble and quick about it as the blonde felt light tugs and strokes as soft hands weaved through her tresses.

"There," Regina said proudly a few minutes later, "Do you like it?" Emma peered into her reflection from the full length mirror in the corner of Regina's room. She still had four angry streaks of pink running down her neck from Regina's fit.

"Oh wow," Emma said as she admired the brunette's handy work. Emma now wore a lovely fish braid hanging down her back. "How'd you learn to do that?" she asked her.

"I made one of the servants who does my hair teach me. I can't do it on myself though. Can you do mine?" she asked her.

"I don't even know how to do a regular braid," Emma sheepishly admitted.

"Oh," Regina said a little disappointed, "Why not?"

"I don't know. No one ever taught me how, I guess," she said.

"Not even your mother?" Regina asked.

"I didn't have one," Emma responded earnestly.

"Oh," Regina went quiet and secretly wished she didn't have one either.

"So where is this ginger lady?" Emma asked, quickly changing the subject, if not clumsily.

"Well, it's a couple of hours to the river if we walk, so I thought we could take Rocinante and Magdalena," Regina answered.

"Who?"

"They're two of my horses," Regina said.

"Oh yeah, way better than walking," Emma said happily.

* * *

"This is not better than walking," Emma said unhappily.

"You're just not used to her yet," Regina encouraged. They hadn't even left the stables yet.

"I don't think it likes me," Emma confessed, teetering uneasily onto the spotted grey horse, wishing for a nice four wheel drive to get around in instead.

"_She_ likes everyone," Regina said patting the spotted grey horse, Magdalena, who Emma was saddled on. She was already on her favorite horse she called Rocinante. "All you have to do is let the reign touch her left or right side and she'll turn that way," Regina said simply. Emma cautiously tested out what she'd said and the grey horse responded instantly.

"See?" Regina said, "Now follow my lead." The brunette led the way out and away from the stables. They had barely gone 40 feet when a garden snake slithered in front of Emma's horse who let out a frightened whinny. Emma freaked and yanked on the reigns far too roughly and the horse tried to throw her off.

"REGINA!" Emma yelled in a panic as Magdalena bucked once more and took off at a fierce gallop with the frightened blonde in tow. Emma had her hands holding on for dear life grabbing the horse's mane with her eyes squeezed shut.

"How do I stop!" she shrieked, feeling the thundering impact of the horse's hooves hitting the ground and jarring her about. Her shout was lost in the wind whipping against her face. She soon heard another set of hooves pounding the earth to her right.

"Emma, grab my hand!" Regina yelled, thrusting hers out and motioning for her to take it. Emma grabbed her forearm and Regina locked onto the blonde's in return. With the brunette's horse next to the wild Magdalena, Emma managed land hard on her stomach across Rocinante, right behind Regina. She immediately pulled the reign back and slowed down to a stop as the grey horse continued over the pasture.

"Thanks," Emma was breathing hard and awkwardly tried to sit up on the back of Rocinante without falling off. Regina turned to offer her hand to help her faltering Savior.

"Are you okay?" Regina asked with concern etched on her face, "I can't believe she did that. Magdalena loves everyone," she said with disbelief.

"Apparently everyone except me," Emma deadpanned, "Jesus, that was scary. I miss my bug."

"Bug?" she repeated.

"My car," Emma amended.

"Car?" Regina asked with a puzzled look, "Is that like a carriage?" Emma stared at her for a moment until she remembered where she was exactly.

"You could say that," she finally allowed with a sigh. Grudgingly taking Regina's help, Emma managed her way into a sitting position and was now directly behind the teen.

"Shouldn't you go after him?" Emma asked, meaning Magdalena.

"No, Daniel will probably take Juniper out to find _her_," Regina emphasized the horse's correct sex, "He really has a gift with animals, you know."

"Right," Emma grunted almost indecipherably. Regina sighed in exasperation, "Emma—"

"What," she dared her. Regina pursed her lips at the tone. "…Nothing. We should head out," she finalized.

With Emma's hands loosely on the teenager's sides, Regina purposefully took off with Rocinante at a trot. The blonde's arms immediately tightened to completely wrap around Regina's middle and the brunette secretly grinned. Eventually she slowed them down as not to wear Roc out, and Emma finally began to relax a little while atop the beast. Enough to, instead of hold onto dear life, snuggle up against Regina with her hips pressed into the teenager's back. They passed the time with memories and questions. Emma's hands mysteriously found their way into the girl's shirt and the blonde ran her hands up and over smooth skin until Regina elbowed her with a giggle. The blonde settled for nuzzling her neck with licks and kisses instead.

Emma couldn't tell how much time had passed, but the sun was directly overhead along with some clouds when they could finally hear running water. Soon enough a single cottage came into view. It didn't look like anything out of the ordinary except for its complete isolation. Regina pulled Rocinante to a halt and she dismounted to tie the horse to a trunk of a thin tree with its reigns. Emma maneuvered herself onto her belly against the horse and slid her way off and down to the ground, refusing Regina's helping hand. They stared at the cottage in wait.

"Are you sure this is it?" Emma asked Regina.

"It should be," she replied, "Not many places are built this close to the river because of the floods." She paused, "Are you sure this is what you want to do?" she returned uneasily, looking back to the blonde.

"I just need to talk to her," Emma said, but she wasn't so sure anymore. Regina's eyes followed Emma's back to the shack. They made their way through the brush and up to the dark wooden door.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

* * *

**A/N:**

Reviews fuel me to continue and to at least pretend to put some thought into solving all the problems ive created hah. So please, I'd love to know what you thought of this particular chapter. &Thanks so much for reading my foray into a multi-chap.  
PLEASE REVIEW


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** myunexpected inspiration: "If it means a lot to you" by A Day to Remember. A duet, but I heard Daniel and Emma singing to Regina, their home. I wouldn't be able to say where it works best in this chapter, but i thought i'd leave it here.

* * *

Daniel heard a vicious pounding on his cottage door an hour after the sun had set. He'd had a long day on the castle grounds. He'd gone to see Regina, but discovered her missing from her chambers. Daniel figured she'd taken Rocinante for a morning ride. He grew concerned at the unusual sight of Magdalena wandering around the clearing saddled, but rider less. Daniel brought the horse back into the stables and continued with his usual tasks pertaining to the care of the horses.

Soon enough, evening was well on its way but Regina and Rocinante hadn't returned. It wasn't unusual for her to vanish on a day long ride, considering how far apart some locations were. He thought back to the night before, with her cuddled up in his arms; she hadn't mentioned she would be gone.

When the pounding on his cottage door came with muffled shouts he located the fire poker from the cold fireplace. He held in it one hand and opened the thick wooden door to his home cautiously. The person on the other side flung it open as soon as he'd unlocked it.

"DANIEL!" a hysterical blonde cried out and launched herself at him and into a hard hug. Startled, he dropped the fire poker and it clattered to the floor. The blonde buried her fists in the fabric of his shirt.

"Eh- Emma?" he said completely surprised, automatically cradling her back, "What are you doing here?" he asked, still in a daze.

"It's Regina!" Emma lamented with a cry and Daniel completely stiffened. He pulled back from the embrace to hold Emma at an arm's length and looked her square in the eye. He could feel his pulse quickening, "What's wrong?" he demanded.

"She's gone!" Emma stuttered.

"Gone?" Daniel repeated and simultaneously recalled the missing Rocinante, "Where?" he asked, wondering why the blonde looked so upset. _Maybe Regina left her_, a snake hissed in his ear, but that wouldn't explain why she would seek him out…or would it?

"She didn't _go_ anywhere! She was taken!" Emma hoarsely explained, trying to clear her throat. "It was all my fault," she confessed morosely. Daniel's mind was reeling as he tried to keep up with the stuttering blonde, "By who?"

"The witch who lives in the shack on the river," Emma explained hurriedly, "You have to help me get her back! I-I didn't know who else to turn to" she said in one breath.

"Emma!" He grabbed her chin to force her to meet his eyes, "What is going on? I need you to tell me everything that happened. Where is Regina?" Apprehension lined his features at just the thought of something awful happening to his love, and in the hands of this woman, no doubt.

Daniel pulled her inside closed the door to his small abode and motioned for her to sit on the small bed while he sat across from her on an old and rickety looking chair.

"Start at the beginning," he said, trying to calm the blonde down enough for her to speak evenly. It was a natural compulsion to hold his hand firmly around hers. Emma interlocked her fingers with his, grateful for his composed comfort. She took a deep breath to subside her initial panic and began.

"We took two horses, but I ended up on the back of Regina's. We took her horse all the way to the river where, um, Ms. Ginger lives?" Emma said, trying to gloss over some of the details.

"Why were you two going to see the woods witch?" Daniel inquired. Emma was clearly unsure of how much to reveal to him and looked a little taken aback at his insight. He had heard numerous stories and rumors about the witch that lived there. A popular one was that the witch used that home quite similar to a summer home. Emma's eyes roamed the room, taking in his quaint living quarters.

"I needed to speak with her," she said, "I didn't know where to find her, so Regina was insistent that she come with me. We get there and," Emma's irises flashed back and forth in small movements like they were watching a scene before them.

"Somehow it was like she already knew what I was there for." Daniel's instincts insisted that the blonde was clearly hiding something from him at the way she danced around any real specifics. He needed to know what happened more than anything, so he decided not to push her yet. While something about Emma told him that she wouldn't endanger Regina on purpose, a conflicting feeling of mistrust floated about her as well.

"She wanted to make a deal with me," Emma continued and bit her lip, "And Regina was begging me not to listen to her; not to do it."

"Did you?" Daniel asked, knowing that one must be desperate to seek magic as a means to an end; and he should know.

"No," Emma said taken aback as if it was obvious, "It made her absolutely furious."

"Why? What did she want?" he continued his interrogation.

"Me," she answered with a furrowed brow and looking up at him. A puzzled question of why her was answered with Emma hardly elaborating with, "Not—working for her, I mean."

"But why did she take Regina?" Daniel tried to move the conversation closer to Regina. Emma fidgeted and let out a deep sigh, "It's my fault. If I hadn't insulted the crazy witch about her deal and what she could do with it… " she trailed off and Daniel was silent, waiting for her to go on.

"She said she could see our connection," Emma said slowly.

"Well, even I could see that," Daniel said, putting his other hand that wasn't entwined with hers, gently on her knee. Daniel clearly remembered the way Regina had looked at the blonde for the first time she saw her across the marketplace. He knew that look from the brunette, and it would only radiate from her when he was around. Seeing that same look light up her face when it wasn't meant for him? Yes, he'd noticed.

"No, she said she could _see _our connection," Emma reiterated with an added motion of her pointing back and forth between her and an invisible Regina. "She said it was the strongest bond she'd seen in a long time. I think if she hadn't have seen it, I don't think she would've bothered," Emma said. "I'll blind the bitch for what she did, if it's the last thing I do," she threatened low and determined.

Daniel didn't doubt he for an instant, she'd make good on her promise. "But _why_ would she take her?" he tried to push, "It must've been more than only to get back at you for a refusal." Emma's retelling wasn't making much sense and he was beginning to feel the bloom of frustration at the back of his mind.

"She said something about a rocky side to Regina and disappeared in a cloud of smoke before I could even take a step," she said dumbfounded. "They were just gone! I didn't know what the fuck to do," she said with panic seeping back into her recount.

"Yes, yes, of course. What color was the smoke?" Daniel pressed.

"What does it matter?" Emma said in exasperation and clearly emphasized her next sentence, "Regina. Was. Taken. We need to go get her!" Daniel completely understood her fright, but he realized he needed to be the rational one here, as he analyzed every single detail the blonde provided.

"What color," he repeated slightly firmer than just earlier.

"Purple," Emma said, "Why?"

Daniel removed his hand from her knee and put a hand to his temple with closed eyes. He didn't know where this woman had come from, but it was evident that she wasn't from this land.

"It's important because it means this witch you went to see and lost _my fiancé_ to is aligned with dark magic," Daniel said with equal parts annoyance at her ignorance, and genuine fear for Regina's fate. Emma's eye twitched at his term as she hung her head at how her situation proceeded to get worst by the minute. Daniel felt farther and farther away from reaching Regina quickly, the longer the blonde spoke.

"Like Cora," Emma said, recalling her display of a disappearance as she vanished in front of her with Mary Margaret. If the woods witch and Cora knew each other, it might explain how the witch already knew what Emma had wanted to discuss. And even more so that she wouldn't receive any help from her. Regina's words of 'allegiance' rang through her head like a gong. Daniel watched the blonde deflate any anger she had worked up and devoid of any real hope, she asked him, "What are we going to do?"

Daniel pursed his lips. "You said she mentioned the Rockies?" Daniel said, thinking aloud, "I've only heard of one place that goes by that nick name." Emma's attention returned to the brunette sitting across from her as she lifted her head back up. "I wonder if she meant to take Regina to the castle by the Rockslide Cliffs... if so we need to get her _now_. There have always been tales of young girls disappearing around the area," he said worriedly.

"What happened to them?" Emma asked, already fearing the answer.

"Nobody really knows, as no bodies have ever surfaced. Perhaps they are taken into the castle and never come out."

"Where is this place?" Emma asked with large eyes.

"It lies somewhere to the East, and a week's travel on horseback at the fastest," he said with dismay. Emma gasped, "A week?! We don't have that much time! What if—"she didn't finish her sentiments, but he was already thinking the same thing. _What if that's too late?_

"We leave at first light," Daniel said, taking charge of the situation, "Can you ride?" Emma's was clearly uneasy as she said, "Jesus, it was an absolute nightmare riding back on that thing and I'm honestly surprised it didn't kill me."

"Thing?" Daniel queried.

"I—yeah," she said somewhat distractedly, "Um..do you know-?" Emma tried to form the words correctly, then decidedly got up, swung the door open, pulled him outside and into the night by his hand. Daniel wasn't sure what to expect when she dragged him around to the side of his cottage. Standing there looking rather irritated at how haphazardly his reins were tied to a tree, was Regina's favorite horse.

"Rocinante?" Daniel spoke, "You rode him here?"

"Kind of?" Emma said, "It was more like he put up with me as he made his own way back to the stables. Um, I don't know what it eats or… do you have water? He hasn't been able to drink since we were near the river. I don't know how to…" she eventually just trailed off, ceasing her hand motions of caring for the beast as Daniel started moving about.

Over the years, Rocinante had become one of his own favorites at the stable. The fact that he was clearly upset over the blonde woman was troubling. Daniel would trust the horse's opinion of a rider far more than any human's assessment.

Emma watched him nurture the beast she had uncomfortably ridden over. It had taken far longer to find her way back than it had to get to the witch's shack. This was especially true since she could only guess at directions, not being able to recognize many landmarks, as they were all trees. Emma had been glad one of them remembered the way, more or less.

"It's not very safe to travel at night in these parts of the wood, so we'll leave first thing in the morning," Daniel said, "Go ahead and get settled in for the night, and I'll take care of this fellow here," he dismissed Emma and turned to pat Rocinante on his side.

As he watched the blonde nod and turn to leave, he thought about her answer if she could ride or not. Apparently, he would have to burden Regina's horse with two people instead of one. He tried to calculate how often they would have to stop. He knew Rocinante was a strong horse, but he came to the conclusion that they would just have to wait and see how quickly they progressed.

"What am I going to do with her?" he murmured to the chestnut steed as he saw Emma through the small window. Rocinante let out a snort of a reply and nudged Daniel with the side of his nose.

His light brown eyes traced over the blonde's disheveled appearance though the glass. The stable hand saw her hesitate before starting to undo the braid her hair was in; one he recognized as Regina's favorite. She aimlessly ran her hands through her golden tresses, untangling it and picking out any small leaves that had gotten mixed in. Daniel had to admit the wavy curls from the undone braid framed her face beautifully. He stayed outside with Rocinante underneath the bright stars for a while longer, collecting his thoughts in a peaceful silence.

He let each emotion wash over him. Anger that Emma hadn't done the only thing he'd asked of her: take care of Regina. Grief over what Regina might be subjected to. Fear that she must be scared, but she also must know that they will come for her. Worry was going to eat him alive at the guesswork. Relief that Emma had been with Regina, as he couldn't imagine not even knowing something had happened. Thinking of the woman, he elected to return to the inside of his cottage, as the cool night air had started to seep into his bones.

"Night, boy," Daniel gave his four legged friend a last pat, and the horse's eye lazily closed at his touch.

When he came back in from the darkness, he made his way to the small bed only to discover that the blonde had burrowed herself under the covers, lying smack in the middle of it. Daniel sighed. This blonde was proving more trouble than anyone he'd met. He felt the ever constant pull towards her and he wondered if she felt it too or not. He undressed down to some roomier shorts and sat on the edge of the bed. His eyes roamed the blonde who wasn't yet asleep, but who was halfway there with closed eyes that were a little puffier than when she'd left his sight.

Daniel didn't understand how his Regina could…he paused frozen in his thoughts. Regina didn't leave him or even hint at it, but she sure as hell didn't hide Emma from him. He honestly didn't know what to make of that, and it wasn't like he could bring it up with her at the moment. In all honesty, Daniel thought her infatuation with the blonde had been satiated there in the forest. His mind was on a roll with thoughts as to how it might have gone differently if he hadn't appeased his fiancé's curiosity with the older woman. Emma didn't seem to be going anywhere soon and jealousy tinged his heart at the unknown boundaries of their relationship.

As much as he wanted to be angry at the blonde, he couldn't help but find her a fascinating puzzle; one he hoped to solve. He brushed a lengthy strand of summer behind her ear and Jade eyes quietly opened to peer up at him at the sensation. Daniel pulled his hand back and shifted his weight on the side of the bed.

"Sorry," Emma murmured into the sheets, seeing him balance on the edge. She shimmied over to the side of the small bed, allocating as much space as she could for the man, which was still hardly anything. Daniel lived alone in the cottage and spent most of his time at Regina's expansive home. He only had the basics in his barely supplied cottage. He didn't even own any spare bedding to create a makeshift sleeping arrangement for himself on the hard floor. He cautiously slid over to lie down on the bed to be surprised that the blonde was clad in only her tank and underwear beneath the cover.

"How am I supposed to lay here doing nothing, while who knows what, could be happening to her?" Emma said with frustration as she turned on her to face the stable boy.

"It'll be a long trip; you'll need your sleep," was all he could manage. The thought of Regina's safety was already gnawing at his own sanity. A roll of thunder echoed far away in the night and he saw the woman next to him shiver under the thin sheet wrapped around them both.

Daniel shifted his weight ever so slightly towards the blonde who didn't protest, so he lent her a small comfort of his added body heat. At the touch of their skin pressed against each other, Daniel felt that familiar sensation running through him, something that more than just body heat. Emma seemed to feel it as well as she instantly pulled away, putting a few inches between them.

"Stop that," she said abruptly.

"Me?" he said at the accusation, his deep voice filling the room, "You."

Emma gave him a skeptical look before softening; she wordlessly held up her hand to him and waited. Curious to the blonde's intentions, Daniel held up his own palm an inch or two away from hers. Touching a single finger to his tips, Emma let out a startled yelp when a static shock lit the space between them in a small spark. Daniel pulled back as well, but when the small surprise passed, Emma let loose a sheepish grin at having been surprised, and pushed her hand flat against his.

The odd sensation started up again. It was subtle in nature, if they were both concentrating on the unique feeling, it could easily be dismissed. It was as if their blood was trying to escape into each other's skin and connect their individual flow into a singular coursing circulation. Neither of them pulled away, but soon their breaths came in the same even timing together; their hearts withholding a clandestine secret of sync.

Daniel couldn't explain it. They were only touching and he felt like the blonde had been missing from his life. Not instead of Regina; it was more like Emma was a supplement to her that had been previously lost. The stable hand wondered if this was what Emma felt like to Regina. Daniel's darkened eyes searched imploringly at Emma, who reflected his own wonderment.

"Who are you?" Daniel asked, still marveling at their mirrored hands and taking a deeper look at the woman before him. His eyes roamed over every curl of her messy hair and spilling over her shoulders. He vaguely asked himself why he'd never really taken after blondes before, as this one before him was particularly enticing. He supposed he just simply preferred the lush darkness of a brunette. _And apparently so does she,_ he mused darkly.

She faltered at the inquisition, and emerald found chestnut with a simply put, "Emma."

Daniel weighed her answer between purposely sidelining him, and having been completely truthful in its simplicity. He'd figure her out in time, as he wanted this mysterious blonde to stay with him.

"Emma," he repeated, feeling the name vibrate through his chest. The woman's eyes glanced down his face and then quickly back up with a slight simper at having been caught. Daniel ruminated over the fact that he couldn't help but compare the two women's differences, but that look was one he knew quite well from their similarities.

There was something about Emma that belonged to him, belonged to both him _and _Regina. If this is how Regina felt about the blonde, he couldn't imagine forcing her to choose between them. On the other hand, he wondered if he had the same effect on the two women as well. If he didn't, why would either of them stay? The fear of being left strolled leisurely across his mind, but he couldn't fathom it. This felt too familiar to just be abandoned to the side.

Once his mind had given its argument, his body was starting to respond to the blonde whose fingers were still intertwined with his. His eyes groped the blonde's two pointed nipples straining through the tightness of her white tank. Daniel moved his other hand to rub her arm up and down only to discover that she was radiating warmth. Emma released his fingers and instantaneously he craved the severed connection they had created together.

Emma slowly sat up and crossed her hands by her waist with her grip around the hem of her tank. Her eyes locked onto his before he abandoned hers to the expanding sliver of skin by her stomach. Daniel took a quick intake of breath as Emma lifted her top up and over her head, dumping it on the floor with little regard. Her soft breasts stretched out, then growing fuller as she put her arms back down. Although Emma was older, he took account of how her breasts were smaller than those of his fiancé's; with light perky nipples over the darker brown he had only gotten glimpses of before their foray in the forest. Her silhouette of gentle curves in the moonlight left him speechless and he started to feel his own arousal surfacing.

The blonde before him had made her intentions clear, and yet Daniel was hesitant. The seconds ticked by and Emma started to blush at Daniel's inspection. With an arm drawn back to cover herself, she turned to backtrack to retrieve her tank from the floor.

"No, don't," Daniel said, finding his voice and reaching out for her with a hand place around her upper arm.

"No, I shouldn't ha—" Emma stammered out, suddenly bashful.

"Emma," he said softly and she looked up at her name. He held her face in his hands, forcing her to meet his gaze. "You're beautiful. I just—" _needed_ _to catch my breath _he thought, as he drew her into a tender kiss, gently sucking her bottom lip, asking for her permission.

Lithe hands were caressing his face in acceptance and he gave in to the feeling. His rough hands roamed soft smooth skin as he ran them up and down her back. Lips and tongues explored each other as his hands felt every curve that made Emma. There was no rush as the blonde's hands roamed his chest and lean abdomen, her touch leaving a trail of heat. Daniel propped himself up and over the blonde to straddle her beneath him and Emma turned her head demurely to the side, allowing his dominance.

Daniel furrowed his brow to see her exposing a few red lines down her neck and he bent down to gently caress each one with a kiss while finding he could cup her mounds fully, fingers drawing circles over her erect tips. Little did he know he was remedying what his other lover had incidentally inflicted on the blonde. Emma moaned softly beneath him and arched her back, throwing her chest deeper into his hands.

Daniel felt nails running lightly down his back, the sensation making his hair stand up on the back of his neck. He turned his attention to the other side of Emma's neck using his tongue to dot the way like an old treasure map. He sucked deeply on her neck, X marking the spot.

Emma pulled him down closer, and he felt his erection rub against the heat that was radiating from her center. Daniel felt himself throb at the thought of entering the older woman, but they continued their exploration of each other. Daniel trailed his mouth back to Emma's for a deepened kiss. Daniel was surprised as he tried to concentrate on the connection from before, that it didn't intensify with their more intimate touches. It remained a faint but steady background familiarity. Regardless of all logic, Daniel had accepted his intuition; he would love Emma like she was his.

As if sensing his change of intentions, Emma's breathing shook as she inhaled deeply. Daniel slowed his movements with her chest to soft circles of designs with his fingertips. Emma threw up a hand to push him back and he slid off her in compliance, dipping the small bed as he laid next to her on his side.

"Emma?" he said concerned. She rolled over to straddle him. "Fuck me," she said monotonously, her hair falling over half of her face as she slid off her underwear that was already wet with her desire.

"What?" Daniel said thinking that couldn't be what she meant.

"I said fuck me," her voice quivered at the last syllable as she started to undo the drawstring of his shorts.

"Emma," Daniel said grabbing her wrists at his waist in restraint. Her eyes burrowed into him, "I —I need this, Daniel," she confessed and softly added a pathetic, "Please." The blonde started to move her hips atop him in a coaxing grinding motion.

"This isn't-," Daniel involuntary groaned at the blonde's wet heat. She rubbed her opening against his hardness, waiting for him. Emma moved her captured wrists through his loosened grip to place his hands on her hips. She continued to grind atop him and went back to the task of removing his shorts.

"Should I call you Daddy?" Emma purred and as the cool air hit his thighs, and her hands found his member, Daniel immediately snapped out of it.

"Emma. STOP," he said, firmly grabbing her wrists again and bucking her off of him to the side. Daniel used his weight to pin her down.

"I thought we were—"Emma protested between thrashes, trying to unpin herself.

"No. I said no," Daniel said letting up on her with a sadness buried in his furrowed brow. He knew she felt the switch, why did she reject it? Why did she feel the need to be handled instead of touched? Why did she need to fuck the pain away?

"Emma."

She shook her head in response, having calmed down enough for him to release her. She was facing away from him with her face concealed into the thin mattress. Daniel surveyed the broken blonde next to him and cautiously set himself directly behind her. His erection was long gone by now and when she felt him pressed fully against her she flinched as he carefully drew her into his embrace. Daniel could tell Emma was trying her best not to come undone about his blatant rejection of her.

"It's okay," he offered as comforting words against her neck, "You don't need to do that—not with me."

Emma stayed silent, not offering any response. Daniel thought she might want not want him touching her, but when he went to remove his arm from around her, she gripped it in a fierce hold to keep him where he was. Daniel tried his best to give her what she needed, this broken mystery of a woman, by keeping her locked in his arms. They stayed like that, neither of them speaking for the longest time.

"Daniel?" Emma said softly, finally breaking the reticence.

"Hmm," was his gentle answer, his face still buried in her hair.

"How did you meet?" she asked, sleep invading her voice, and the who being perfectly spoken. Daniel stroked her arm and let her question hang in the air for a spell before he cleared his throat.

"It was the first of May about two years ago, and I had just finished meeting someone who was looking for a replacement. On my way back, I was feeling particularly optimistic about my chances of this new job, so when I got to my place, I decided to keep walking and enjoy the air. A mile or so down the path, I heard a strange cry. I'd have to say halfway between anger actual crying. Thinking someone needed my help, I ran through the brush only find a girl trying to push a horse closer to the pond there," he chuckled at the memory, and his breath tickled Emma's neck.

"Relieved she wasn't in any trouble, I asked her if she was okay, and I remember the first thing she said to me. She turned to me with her hands on her hips and said Rocinante won't drink." He said with a smile in his voice, "And that's how I met the most beautiful girl I'd ever laid eyes on," he said simply. "Later on Regina told me she was actually trying to run away, but she'd only had Rocinante for about a day and was he was far too stubborn of a horse for a new rider back then." Emma could relate, not being able to make Magdalena do anything but get herself nearly killed.

"I actually coaxed the horse into _not_ obeying her," he professed, "I didn't want to never see her again. She eventually was resigned to return the way she'd come. Since that first fateful day, we met almost every two days at the same place by the pond. Some days she would come, and others I would be left waiting late into the evening," he said in remembrance.

"You could imagine my surprise when my job came through, and to discover a stubborn Rocinante in the stables I was to be working. Regina's surprise was even greater. I helped tame Rocinante into something manageable, and I got to see her nearly every day for her morning ride from her instructor. I had no idea Regina was the Queen's daughter, and we kept our love secret for the longest time, but Cora eventually found out. Regina had expected the complete opposite, but her mother was rather fond of me, oddly."

Emma's breathing had become shallow enough that he found a stopping point to his story. He wrapped his arms around the blonde and breathed her in. Whoever she really was, she was precious to his Regina, so he held her in his strong arms, feeling her chest rise and fall with each breath. Being able to see Regina again was his last thought as he let himself drift off into his dreams for the night.

* * *

Daniel awoke to a cold sensation pressing deep into his neck—Emma's dagger.

"What the fuck is this?" she growled deeply, her green eyes a hardened pierce. Daniel surveyed what she was holding up with bafflement. She must've found it in the top drawer he'd haphazardly stuffed it in near the door. He tried to protest, but yelped when the blonde pushed harder onto the blade, drawing a line of his blood with shaky hands.

Daniel looked from the blonde's harsh stare to what she was holding in her hand. It was a small pouch that was no bigger than his palm and dangled from a golden drawstring. In her outstretched fist, Emma Swan was clutching the red velvet pouch that Cora had given _him._

* * *

**A/N: **I struggled with this chapter, mostly because it was the end of how far i had planned ahead. Good news is i wont leave this fic unfinished and ive got the next 4 to 5 chapters mapped out, which will be the turning point of the story line. not sure how many chapters after that, but again, ill worry about it when i get there. Hope i've kept it interesting so far...reviews are welcomed.


	6. Chapter 6

**STORYBROOKE**

The center of Jefferson's hat revealed a swirling image of Wonderland. A visual montage of the expansive land condensed into the fifteen seconds the brunette could hold the portal open. Regina was thinking of Emma's sunny blonde appearance, trying to guide the portal into revealing her location. The images started to flicker and Regina could feel herself growing weak. Her magic and strength was being drastically used up. Togey Wood was the last place to flicker past her eyes before the portal extinguished to black.

"Damnit, Emma!" Regina cursed. "Where _are_ you?" The frustrated brunette cried out as she slumped to the floor in a heap, completely drained. She felt a warm drip cascade from her nose, and she lifted her hand to have it come back a shockingly deep red.

While Jefferson's apparatus added just enough magical help to open a portal, her magic was weak in Storybrooke. It took twice as much effort to hold a portal open for even just a few seconds. The magical exhaustion was wearing her down. Regina could only open a portal up to three times in a day. Once she opened one, she needed hours to recharge her inner source. They had wasted days trying to find the correct realm that Mary Margaret and Emma had fallen through.

"Jesus, Regina." David pulled the last wad of tissues from the box on the side table and pawed them at Regina's hand. The brunette didn't even bother to try to keep her blood from staining her cropped white top.

When she didn't immediately respond, David crouched down to her level, and started to delicately wipe the thick dark red pathway that was beginning to traverse her lips. David pursed his own lips. The longer she tried to find which realm it was, the worse Regina's symptoms got from overusing her magic.

"I can't keep watching you hurt yourself while I just stand by. You're pushing yourself too hard. There has to be a better way to locate where Emma and Mary Margaret are," David said to the brunette with worry in his sky colored eyes.

Finding the right portal had completely consumed her. She'd tried all sorts of different realms, but none had given the slightest indication that Emma was there; no matter how hard she channeled the blonde in her mind.

As if finaly realizing she had a bloody nose, Regina took the tissue from David's hand and made to clean herself up.

"It's getting worse," David said seriously, looking her over once more, regarding her side effects.

"Why can't I find her!" Regina huffed full of frustration and tears of anger, exhaustion, frustration, and worry dotting her eye.

"We'll keep trying," he assaged.

"_We?_" she laced with an incredulous tone.

David knew full well, there was nothing he could do to help. He tried not to show his own frustration with Regina's failing process, as she was his only glimmer of hope.

"Why can't it open up to the last place it opened to?" David inquired.

"That would have been useful if you weren't so sure they were in our old land," she said bitterly. They had been so sure, she didn't think to question him either, but multiple portals to their land yielded nothing. If they didn't go there, then where?

"I've got one more shot for the rest of the night," Regina said, feeling her strength returning to her at a glacier's pace.

"Only one?"

Regina sighed long and hard, feeling ever more disheartened. The fear of losing Emma had become ever the more real the longer they waited.

"Where do you think she would go?" Regina asked the defeated prince. Thinking aloud, David reiterated what he knew about portals, trying to work through it.

"Wherever she was thinking about at the time she fell in; home, I would think."

I wouldn't think so, not with being a foster child. Also, we don't even know where that was. Maybe somewhere in Boston?" Regina dismissed.

"Foster child?" David said confused, "I meant Fairytale Land."

Regina scoffed, "Emma? She wouldn't even remember it."

"Snow," David said, just as confused.

It hit Regina like a freight train. No wonder she couldn't locate Emma. She had completely disregarded her overprotective mother who had chased after the blonde when the wraith went through the portal along with Emma. An armature mistake, but what did she care about getting David's wife back? That wasn't who she was concern about in the least.

"I think I know what might've happened," Regina nearly whispered.

David's eyes widened, "Can you open one last portal right now?" he pushed.

Regina felt incredibly weary, but nodded. It's possible she just found the answer to finding where they disappeared to.

"David." He met her crazed eyes. "Portals will take the jumper anywhere their heart desires," Regina summed up. "But it gets skewed when more than one person enters the portal. Especially if they are not thinking of the exact same place. What would Mary Margaret be thinking about during a portal hop?"

"Home," he answered easily, then clarifying, "our real home."

"So fairytale land, yes," she contemplated. "And Emma?"

David's brow furrowed, for all he knew, his daughter never had a home to go back to. It wouldn't be likely for her to want to return to any place from her childhood, especially in the throes of getting rid of the wraith that was chasing Regina. Regina was her home.

"She was saving you when she fell through," he said slowly, "She would've been thinking of you —about your safety. If she thought of you, shouldn't that have still sent them both to Fairytale Land? You _were_ in our home."

Regina thought about Emma's need to protect her, safety, David had offered. If anything, everyone had needed to protect themselves from _her_ in Fairytale Land. She hadn't needed anything from anyone when she was Queen, which would be the overlap of Mary Margaret's destination.

"I think we should try to open the portal together. You, thinking of what Snow would've thought and I might know what Emma could have been thinking. Perhaps with two people, the portal will open up to the same skew they created together?"

"Anything is worth a shot at this point," David acquiesced. "Are you okay?"

Regina looked down at her white shirt marred with circular crimson. "I'm fine."

There was no way she was going to sit aside while they could be getting closer to figuring out her love's location. "You're going to need to hold the hat with me, so the magic will channel through both of us.

"Now?" David stuttered. "Regina, you need to recover first."

"We've wasted enough time already," she dismissed.

Regina was a little startled when strong arms wrapped themselves around her from behind, overlapping her hands that were already gripping the hat's brim. David repressed the urge to breath in the brunette deeper, as the faint smell of vanilla and cinnamon wafted up from her hair.

David felt Regina take an infinitely deep breath. She closed her eyes and her entire body began to warm him where he was pressed up against her. With a firm grip on the hat, the opening in the middle started to warp and spin to reveal a montage of hazy images all rushing together.

David's eyes were clamped shut as he channeled everything in him to connect to his other missing half. Regina was just as concentrated on how Emma would've been thinking of protecting her like a young child, and not a grown queen.

David opened his eyes at Regina's gasp. He looked over her, his chin resting on her shoulder from behind to see the montage of blurry images start to clarify. It looked like Fairytale Land, but it wasn't how they'd left it. The images dazzled past until Regina tried focusing the hat's stream of images. The headpiece revealed through a clouded twist, a blonde on the back of a horse—both of which she recognized instantly. Emma, and her favorite horse from her youth, Rocinante.

Emma had her arms wrapped tighly around the horse's neck, and she was low, almost parallel to the ground atop the stilled horse. The background figures were too blurred to make out, but it looked like another person was standing a few feet away, along with various other blurs close to the ground.

Regina began to feel dizzy as the portal's image started to wobble; her time almost up. She used her last bit of strength to try and zero in on the two people's faces. Looking closer at Emma's her eyes were squeezed shut. The stranger close by took the shape of a man, but his face and intentions remained unclear.

Regina felt her bloody nose return and the portal immediately slammed shut as she lost her focus and released her grip on Jefferson's vision narrowed to a dark tunnel and the brunette lost consciousness.

"Regina?"

David's arms became heavy with the weight of the brunette. Luckily, he already had his arms around her when her knees went weak. David's arms tightened around her, catching her just under her chest as she slipped down.

"Regina!" he repeated louder, but to no response. Unable to easily man handle her to the nearby couch with her back to him, he propped her up against him and slid around to her side. He then bent down, with an arm under the back of her knees to swoop her up in a single motion so that she was lying in his arms with her head resting against his chest. David pursed his lips as he noticed dark crimson drops appearing on his shirt from her nosebleed.

With the last tissues already wadded up on the table, and unsure of what to use to sop up the bleeding mayor, David sighed as he disrobed his ruined shirt. He used his navy t-shirt to staunch the flow of blood coming from the unconscious woman before him. She looked absolutely wrecked, although he wondered why she closed the portal before they could use it. David had only gotten a glimpse, but it looked like she had successfully located his daughter with his input on the portal.

Having ungracefully set Regina on the couch, her black skirt had lifted up a bit. He was drawn to the bunched up fabric that revealed the tops of her thighs with black lace peeking out. David let his eyes rake over her before moving to make her proper again.

He leaned over the brunette whose skirt was stuck under her near the backside of the couch. His rough hands brushed over the intricate lace near her hips when he felt the woman stir beneath him. He silently cursed, knowing exactly what his position might look like to a disoriented mayor.

Regina grabbed David's forearm that was holding his shirt near her face in a grip laced with exhaustion, and yet only a single static shock popped aloud at the contact. David, shirtless and kneeling over Regina with his hand on her upper thigh, let out a conflicted protest. He was immensely relieved the sorceress didn't have enough magic to send electricity coursing through him, but he was troubled over the unconsciousness it provoked.

"Are you okay?" he said playing his compromising position off as coolly as possible. "I—you're…" he fumbled trying to explain her provocatively skewed hem. Regina let out a deep groan, ignoring David's flushing cheeks.

"I saw Emma," she said weakly, trying to sit up. "We found her. It was hard to tell, but she might be in trouble. I need to get to her."

"No, you need to rest," David contested, pushing her back down and halting her poor attempts to rise.

"We need to get to her," Regina protested. She palmed her hand to David's bare chest, emitting a pathetic pop of a static shock. David placed his hand over hers and pressed it to his heart.

"Regina, you can't even shock me right now," he said softly. "You need to recover your strength. You should have waited before attempting to open a portal back to back."

Regina knew he was right. If she couldn't even shock the oaf before her, there was absolutely no way she could be of any use now; magically speaking. Dulled brown orbs looked into sky blue and sighed. David released her at her resignation and helped her to slowly sit up and then he joined her on the couch.

"I think I know where they are…" Regina said faintly, "but…"

"It looked like Fairytale Land," David finished for her. "But some of the structures that flashed by were empty of what should be there, like it was in the past." Regina nodded at his words. "I thought portals can only be used in the present," he questioned as he sought her expertise.

"It must be tied to having more than one person directing the portal," she said. "What we just did, it produced the same realm they did, apparently. I saw my favorite horse there which means that Emma must have landed back when I was a teen, give or take a few years. It was when I would've needed the most protection," she added, trying to explain what Emma might've been thinking when she entered the portal.

David looked even more worried than before, "I didn't see her."

"Emma?" Regina said surprise dousing her tone. She was sure he had seen the same image when he looked over her shoulder.

"Mary Margaret," he clarified and clasped his hands together.

"Oh." Her ex-step daughter completely slipped her mind yet again. Regina was only concerned with her own love's well-being.

"Do you think she landed somewhere else?" he asked the brunette seriously. She shook her head.

"No. You can't use a single portal to simultaneously travel to two separate locations. She must be there somewhere," she reassured him. "Perhaps they've been separated. Snow will know the land far better than Emma, so that won't be troublesome for her, but I don't know how Emma will fare. That land is quite different than anything she'd have known." He nodded his agreement.

"How long will you need?" David asked her with concern. Regina placed her hand on his bare shoulder. He felt her palm heat then flicker in degrees, but nothing happened.

"Did you just—?"

"Well it obviously didn't work," she said quite miffed at having failed to electrocute him once more.

"On one hand, I suppose I should be thankful for that," he said trying to lighten her mood, but to no avail. David laboriously stood up from his seated position. Regina stood up fast, still dabbing her face with his ruined shirt.

"Give me a few hours and I'll be good," she stated.

Blood rushing from her head when she stood up, Regina started to feel extremely lightheaded. She took a single step before faltering and collapsing. Luckily David was there to catch the mayor in his strong hold. For the second time in ten minutes, he was holding an unconscious mayor. He felt her chest rise up and down since she was pressed against him. She came to far quicker than before with a small groan.

"Just….just a little light headed," she let out as soon as she realized what happened. "It's nothing to worry about. I'm fine."

"You need to rest," he chastised her. "Believe me, I want to find them as soon as possible, but they'll be okay for another day. I promise."

"You can't know that," she murmured into his chest, her hot breath giving him goose bumps as she found her footing.

"I believe it," he assured her confidently. Regina said nothing as she sat back down on the couch; a frown where she realized a dark crimson circle dotted the arm rest. She put her finger to it and then to the source under her nose, but it came away dry. She sighed deeply and full of fatigue as she laid down along the couch. Regina stared at the ceiling until the patterns of the drywall started to morph into her dreams.

When she grudgingly woke up a few hours later, she was still on the couch. She could hear David pacing the bottom floor of her home. Regina took note of the lack of light streaming in through the windows near the front door. Glancing around to view the miniature clock on the fireplace mantle, it was six thirty.

Regina took a moment to really take note of how she felt. She still felt incredibly drained and like she hadn't slept at all. She ground her teeth at the regret of not pacing herself. She had to get to Emma, but there was no way she could open the portal again. Not even tomorrow was looking good at the way she was feeling.

Regina needed a short cut. There was no way for her to create more magic within herself without the slow drag of time. She could, however, take it from someone else; a syphoning of sorts. She thought about sneaking out, but dammit she knew David was genuinely concerned about her.

"David?" she called to the other room and heard his heavy footsteps cease before continuing to become louder all the way up to the edge of the doorframe.

"How're you feeling?" he asked with apprehension.

"David, I need to do something." He frowned at the odd announcement.

"What?"

"We don't have the time to wait for me to regain the entirety of my magic back. If we can get to Fairytale Land, I won't even need time. Magic was always stronger there. I just need enough to open the portal." Regina said it with the authority of a queen so he knew she wasn't asking permission. "It will speed the process."

"By how much?" he said evenly.

"Tonight," Regina said with a glint in her eye. "We could leave tonight."

"Do I need to—"

"No," Regina said. "I need you to stay here."

"What are you going to do?" he cautiously asked.

"Borrow something," she said evasively.

"From who?" David said, crossing his arms and eyeing her. Regina debated which lie she should tell him, but then thought better of it. She didn't have the energy to keep up a façade. It was fragile between them, but she'd grown to trust the man standing before her. She looked to her manicured nails and avoided his eye.

"Lacey," she said full of nonchalance. It took a minute for her name to sink in, and when he understood David was livid.

"You still see her?!" he accused.

Regina was completely stupefied. "You know about that?" She was appalled at how he could possibly know. "And no, I don't, actually." Her eyes flashed up to his as she said softly, "Emma couldn't stand it." Regina's eyes lost their defiance. "She wouldn't even look at me the last time," she nearly whispered; the memory still fresh in her mind. "How did you even know about that?" she asked in mild puzzlement.

Caught in the act of knowing something he shouldn't, David instantly confessed, "I might have been in the next room when Emma was…discussing the issue with her mother." Regina pursed her lips, so Snow knew too. She'd have to have a talk with Emma about discussing their personal affairs with people outside of their bedroom.

"This is…different," Regina said and David raised an eyebrow. "I know Emma will understand."

"You don't have to do this," he offered quietly. "We know where they are now and a few days might not—"

"No. I couldn't stand waiting a few hours, how am I supposed to last a few days?" she retaliated. David had to admit he was just as eager to get moving now that they knew where to go.

"Are you okay to drive?" he asked hesitantly, having been shot down to help just moments ago. Regina stood up, and David took a step closer to her, ready to catch the woman if necessary.

"Yes," she answered and pushed a lock of dark hair behind her ear on one side. "I'll be back in a while." David pursed his lips. She grabbed the keys and left David standing in the doorway of her home as she unsteadily walked out. He watched her drive off before flicking the porch light on, resigned to wait for her as he continued his pacing inside.

Regina made her way over to the White Rabbit, and sure enough, stumbling down the street before she even got to the bar was the woman she was looking for. She slowed her car and pulled over next to the honey brunette.

"Oi, fuck off," Lacey slurred, not bothering to look up at who was driving next to her. Regina tisked and purred, "Darling, is that any way to speak to your queen?"

Lacey stopped walking and looked up in the direction of the husky voice with a mischievous grin. Regina eased the breaks to her black benz and leaned over to pop the passage door open. Lacey gave her a probing look.

"Long time," she said with a smirk. "Trouble with the Mrs.?"

"Just get in," Regina demanded darkly. Lacey put her hands up in a mock defense. "Alright, alright, I'm goin'. Where to?" she asked as she tumbled into the passenger seat without buckling, and Regina suppressed the urge to tell her to.

"Do you still have the keys?"

"To the ah-ahth-athenaeum? No, but I know how to get in," Lacey stuttered. She then whispered after a pause, "That's what she said… I mean, I said." Regina rolled her eyes, at least this would be easier than she'd expected.

Regina pulled her keys out of the ignition after she had parked in front of the building like every time before. The brunette got out of her car and walked to the massive front entrance of Storybrooke's library. She jiggled with the lock until she pushed it open with a creek. As soon as Regina stepped inside the dimly lit space, Lacey slammed the door shut and leaned against it. She playfully grabbed Regina's hand in hers and pulled her towards herself.

"Whatever you need, babe," Lacey murmured an inch away from the brunette's lips. "I kind of missed taking you on these tables."

Regina was still pretty spent and the sooner she'd get what she came for, the better she'd feel about it all. She decided she would play along for now.

"I missed you too; it's why I'm here," she purred and licked her lips.

Suddenly, Regina was pressed fully against the girl in blue with the smudged eyeliner in a hot kiss. Lacey's hands were already roaming up the Mayor's thighs and bunching up her skirt, revealing sexy black lace underneath as her fingers were navigating their way to her hot center.

Regina felt the slow creep of guilt at her arousal starting to surface, but she pushed it aside. Emma would never have to know. Regina had always had this…arrangement with Lacey, even before she started dating Emma. It was only after a rather rough night where Regina had gotten completely blasted at the White Rabbit one night. She had been stupid enough to bring Lacey back to her place; sure that Emma would be asleep upstairs.

It wasn't until the next morning that Emma had found a forgotten bra in the living room that was a cup size too big. Regina was asleep on the couch and had been roughly slapped awake, accompanied by angry screaming that went back and forth for ages.

Emma was storming out the door and Regina did something she had never done before. She got on her knees and begged her not to leave. It was ugly, to say the least, and Emma had given her an ultimatum: if she caught her with another woman again, she'd walk. _Caught_ being the word Regina agreed to. Although to be honest, she _had_ been monogamous with Emma for quite some time now, excluding when they brought Graham into their bedroom.

Having the memory of that awful morning seared into her mind as it did a brief replay, considerably dampened Regina's mood on top of still being drained. They still fought a lot more than they should and sometimes it worried her.

Nevertheless, Regina's tongue found Lacey's in a heated kiss as her hands went into fisting locks of brunette. Lacey hissed at her roughness and pulled them towards the nearest table. Regina dominated her and threw her down onto its wooden surface, knocking a small stack of books to the floor.

Lacey pulled the mayor over her and their make out drastically increased in fervor. Regina roughly hiked up the minx's blue dress above her hips and was pleased to find no barriers to her conquest. She could feel the heat radiating from Lacey's core as her breathing hitched when she stroked her throbbing bud with tantalizing slowness.

"Will you give yourself to me? May I have your very essence?" Regina said seductively.

Some rules of magic, unbeknownst as to why, needed to be done to their specifics. It was part of the ritualistic aspect she supposed; either way, she needed her permission first.

"Oh god yes," Lacey moaned.

Regina's pupils grew entirely black with desire. Lacey noticed the change immediately and before she could protest, Regina's lips were once again on the drunken brunette's. This time, however, her neediness was numerously expanded as she drank her in.

Regina pinned her hands above her head with her legs on either side of the younger girl and pulled. She pulled her very essence out of her body and into hers. Regina practically moaned as she syphoned the dark magic running through Lacey's veins and felt it instantly bring her back to life. She experienced the pure adrenaline rush as she felt herself immediately grow stronger by the second.

Regina knew for a fact that Lacey's lover, Rumplestiltskin, loved to use his dark powers on the her in the bedroom. More often than not, she could be seen with fresh bruises and a dirty smile on her face from what had happened the night before.

Regina could sense the leftover magic coursing through the girl, even if she didn't know how to channel it. She had enough in her system that Regina suspected that Lacey no longer suffered from its nasty side effects, like she used to as a girl when her mother was feeling particularly cruel. Lacey was a stronghold of unused magic and Regina drank it in from her attached mouth. As she pulled harder, she began to summon less and less of it; signs she was nearing her supply's end.

When nothing more came forth, Regina released Lacey and she let out an enormous intake of breath. It was as if Regina had transferred her own misery into her because she was very, very weak, and was having trouble just breathing.

Lacey was now completely pure of the dark magic that had pulsed through her. In all honesty, Regina had probably done the girl a public service of sorts in purifying her. Although, Lacey's own sex games will come with future side effects in their aftermath, but with Gold's insatiable desire, she should be re-accustomed in no time.

"You might want to rest up, dear, I'm sure you're feeling…fatigued," Regina said with a powerful smirk.

"You used me!" she tried to cry out, but her voice cracked and barely registered over a whisper.

"Oh honey, did you really think I was doing anything else? That I would choose you over her?" she patronized in a mockingly high tone. "I have what I came for," her lip curled back in a wicked sneer, "and you are of no more use to me." She roughly patted Lacey's cheek twice with a slap and removed herself from atop her to sashay out the door. She tested her new found strength to magic them open.

What she didn't hear was Lacey let out a breathy, "You'll pay." She shakily took out her cell phone and dialed.

Regina felt like she could do anything, she was so high off of the magical transfer. She took her time and leisurely drove around the small town breathing in the cool night air with the top down. When she realized what time it was, she reluctantly headed back to 108 Mifflin.

When she pulled into the driveway, her senses went on high alert when she saw the door to her home wide open, the light filtering out and into the night. She raced inside, not knowing what to expect.

"David?" she yelled out, with an arm curled in front of her, ready to unleash hell at a seconds notice. An agonized moan came from the kitchen. She turned the corner in her home to find David flat on his back and bleeding profusely from several deep lacerations. Regina gasped at the gore that covered her floor.

"David!" she screamed, running to him and her knees hit the floor as she tried to staunch the flow of blood. Angry, deep cuts marred his entire body and his blood flowed in streams to the tile beneath him. He was barely conscious.

"Who did this?" she yelled. His mouth struggled to form a word, only managing a struggled, "G-guh-"

"Gold?" she asked with anger ringing in her voice. His eyes were unfocused now and she realized she needed to heal him now or risk losing him.

Gold. Who else could it have been. How could she have been so blatant with her bragging to Lacey. She should have knocked her out with a brief sleeping curse for the night. Of course she went to Gold.

Regina quickly analyzed David's wounds and pushed two open edges together. He yelped and writhed in pain beneath her hands. The edges refused to stay together or stop bleeding. Regina became far more perturbed. These wounds weren't inflicted with any knife or sword; they reeked of magical infliction. There was no way he could heal on his own, and they were already constricted on time.

"That bastard!" Regina growled.

It was an obviously calculated attack. So calculated. If she had arrived any later, David would surely have died from the blood loss. She took a deep breath and felt her body take on the familiar warm fuzz as she ran her hands down each slice of bleeding skin, sealing them together. Healing him had required precisely the amount of magic she had just syphoned from Lacey. Everything she had just gone through was for naught and immediately undone and unplanned by Gold.

"Thank you," he exploded as soon as he could speak properly. "Gold, he—"

"It doesn't matter. You're healed now and we are exactly in the same place as before," she said tersely. "We're no closer to reopening the portal and finding Emma." Regina felt weak again. Not as severely as having just tried to portal back to back, but not much better either. It would still be two or three days at the very least before she could open the portal again sans any magical cheats. Regina balled her hands into fists, full of her returning frustration at their progress.

David woozily sat up and put his hand on her back, and then drew her into a side embrace. Regina let herself fall into him and she wrapped her arms around his middle that was still hot and sticky with blood. He rested his chin on the top of the mess of brunette while she didn't even try to muffle her desperate sobs.

"Don't worry, we'll get to them," he assured her. "We'll find them."

* * *

**A/N: Reviews are greatly appreciated. **


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